


Makara

by Narcis_The_Monk



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-01 14:20:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 30,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13296696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narcis_The_Monk/pseuds/Narcis_The_Monk
Summary: Gamzee Makara is a young troll with a fire in his soul and a point to prove. And there is no way he's throwing away his shot.A Hamiltonstuck story I've been working on for a while that's accidently become an almost Beforus fic. I apologize for the summary. This is also the first story I've shared on a site. Please enjoy. ^^''





	1. Gamzee Makara, Just You Wait

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the summary. It's based off Hamilton: An American Musical, and I'm including a few scenes that aren't considered 'songs' entirely. It's also based loosely off the American Revolution. This is also the first story I've shared on a site. Please enjoy. ^^''

His earliest memory is of the ocean. He was two sweeps, and he could hear the crash of the waves through the open windows of their house. Well, more like shack; but, oh, he had loved their home so much. It was so close to the water. He could fish or swim whenever he wanted, take a nap. He didn't understand troubles, or their many forms, just yet. He'd only experienced a carefree life and love in his life up to that moment. 

His parents loved him, he knew they had. His father was a tall indigoblood he only ever knew as Daddy. Gamzee could only remember a tall shadow with wild hair and long twisting horns, that looked like they were stained with paint. He didn't understand it to be blood until he was older. He never considered his father a veteran as a child. He'd always been kind and proud in Gamzee's eyes. 

And his mother. Oh, he could still remember his mother. Her horns swept back behind her in a graceful arch. She was a thin, willowy jadeblood that always seemed to fit around him just right when he was scared. Her face was delicate and framed by bangs and long black hair that fell down her back like a waterfall. He could remember braiding it to this day, the feel of it between his fingers. He suspected that his sensory recovery came from his mother. She had had cerulean in her as well. She had the most beautiful smile. She was warmth and comfort, the perfect mother.

He was five sweeps when his father left them. He remembers loud voices, angry and arguing. He wished he'd been paying closer attention to them. He probably couldn't have stopped the fight, but he always liked to imagine he had when he was feeling especially low in his life. Gamzee remembered leaving his room, for what he never really knew, and he watched his father slap his mother, then storm out and slam the door. And no matter how many times he asked the Messiahs, his father never came back except in his dreams. Honestly, he doesn't remember much of his father. He wished he remembered more.

It was just him and his mother for a while. He fished more, swam less, and worked on the house. He couldn't do much yet, but he did what he could. His mother taught him to read, and to read well. He would always be thankful for that. He did odd jobs, and got the groceries. His mother stayed strong the best she could, but she sat up every night and waited as she watched the door. She would eventually go to bed, but she always waited for him to come back. Gamzee did too some nights, and he often convinced her to go to bed earlier than she normally would.

He was almost seven sweeps when he and his mother fell ill. He suspected he brought it back from the village. Neither could travel into town for help. He did as much as he could. He made soup and fed his mother and himself. She was weaker than him from the start, no matter how hard she fought it. He sat by her side and helped her drink water, and in this worst parts of their fever, he held her close. He was still a child, but he held on tight. He was starting to recover when his mother passed away. Her last words were words of love, she was kindness until her last breath. He was still sick when he buried her, and his mourning was spent recovering in a spell of bitterness.

He was alone, but he had the house. It was still his. As long as no one knew he was alone, he'd be okay for a while; but they did. They found him alone, and they sent him into town to stay with a cousin. When his cousin had committed suicide when he was eight sweeps, he left to return to his home. A determination awoke in him, and he devoured every book he could find in their home. He read. As much as he could, as often as he could. He taught himself math, and started managing books for their old landlord. He traded things he didn't need for the things he did. He borrowed books from everyone he could, even started learning law. 

He was ten sweeps when the village took a collection for him. They were all proud of him. They knew his struggle and his troubles now, all the things he'd overcame. They knew he was smart, they had told him. He could make something of himself, and they wanted to send him to the new land that the Condescension had founded. It was close, and he could catch a ship there easily. He was shocked they thought he could do it, or that they even cared. He had been so happy when they had wished him off with pride and shouted encouragement all the way until he couldn't hear them anymore. He liked to imagine they continued long after that point too. 

His name was Gamzee Makara, and there was a million things he had to do. But he was ready, he could make his mother proud. He could prove his father wrong. He could be the troll he was meant to be in New Alternia. He stood at the bow of the ship and let the wind blow over his bare face. He'd traded his face paint for paper and pens. He smiled at the ocean and the sound of the birds crying. 

New Alternia was a country across the sea from Great Alternia. It was the place for a troll of his social status to get a leg up in his lifetime. He could go to law school, defending trolls that couldn't defend themselves. He heard whispers on the ship of a revolution stirring in this new country he was about to call home. He almost hoped there would be. What better way to make his name known, after all?


	2. Talk Less

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gamzee makes a new friend/possible enemy.

It'd been a few months since Gamzee had arrived in New Alternia. He was in Cantown currently, attending college for law. He was actually pretty good at it. Coupled with his insomnia, he was practically a force to be reckoned with as a student. He completed papers in hours, and he could pull new theories from almost thin air that almost worked; they just needed a little tweaking after he had them down on paper.

Right now, Gamzee was looking for someone. He knew her name was Terezi Pyrope, he had a vague description of what she looked like, and he knew she was the fastest troll to graduate from the college. He'd heard her name earlier in the administrator's offices, when he was seeking a faster graduation route. He didn't want to waste time, seeing as he blew through assignments, and passed tests easily every single time. He could finish his courses in time to join the revolution he heard talked about in the streets more and more every day.

The fact that it was talked about in the streets meant that it would be upon them soon. And as a troll who grew up on a small island full of constant struggle, he knew that revolution meant a possible end to blindly following orders given by a tyrant. It meant the end of an obsolete judicial system, and there was so much possibility in the system they could mold out of the ashes of the one they seek to burn down. They could plant seeds and watch it grow into something amazing. He'd be lying if he denied wanting to be a part of that. 

His eyes passed over the crowd until they fell on a troll a couple feet shorter than him, short black hair, and horns that reminded him of needles. That had to be her. He started through the crowd, and when she turned to talk to someone in passing, he was sure it was her. She was known for wearing a pair of red-lensed glasses. He smiled widely before calling out to the figure he'd locked his eyes on. 

"Excuse me!" Gamzee yelled, hands cupped around his mouth to make sure he was heard. A few trolls around him flinched a little. He reminded himself that an indigoblood shouting might make those around him uncomfortable and lowered his voice a bit for the second shout. "Hey, wait up motherfucker! Pyrope!"

The scurrying figure stopped, and turned to look towards him uncertainly. 

"Are you Terezi Pyrope?" Gamzee asked as he caught up, smiling down at her. 

"Well, I suppose that depends on who's asking?" She responded with a faint ghost of a smile.

"Oh, right. Suppose I should up and introduce myself. Name's Gamzee Makara, at your service ma'am. I've been looking for you." He grinned down at her, almost ecstatic to meet her. Finally, he could find out how she graduated so fast.

"I'm getting a little nervous, Mr. Makara." She responded with a chuckle and he widened his eyes. 

"Oh, no! Man, motherfuckin messed that up. I heard your name at the college when I was seeking a faster graduation process. I may have gotten a little out of sorts with your friend..." He shook his finger, trying to remember the trolls name. "I may have motherfuckin punched him...the one that handles the financials?" He offered a smile of his own now.

"You punched-- well, okay, nevermind that. I could see why. But why were you trying to graduate early? What did you tell him?" She asked him now. 

"I wanted to graduate in time for the revolution." He replied quickly. She nodded as a response. 

"Well, see. That's your problem. You told him you wanted to fight, and that intimidated him. Then he probably considered it a waste to accelerate you through school just to possibly die. Come with me. I was just about to go get a drink." She smiled and offered her hand up. He nodded and offered her his arm. Escorting her wasn't particularly pleasant. She was bony with sharp edges, and her height meant he had to hunker down a bit. In her free hand, she held a cane, and he realized she was blind, but she was the one leading them. Then she broke the silence; he realized her voice was vaguely a screech now. "Can I give you some advice?"

"Yes ma'am?" Gamzee responded with a surprised rasp.

"You need to talk less. Don't give your opinion away so easily, and smile instead." She said it simply, and he tipped his head. 

"You can't motherfuckin be serious..." He couldn't believe his ears. 

"If you want to get ahead, it's important. It helps you to sway people to your side." She stated as they walked through the doors to the bar she led them too. He looked over at a particularly loud group no one seemed to be bothered by. Terezi nodded towards them. "Example."

Gamzee looked up just in time for the show. A yellow blood stood up with a mug of beer in his hand. Psionics sparked around his eyes, but they in no way seemed hazardous. More like a light show. He smiled more when he spoke though.

"I came here to kick ass and drink beer! And I'm all out of asses!" He shouted. Gamzee chuckled a little as he was led closer to that table. 

"You're clearly drunk enough, Sollux." A jadeblood with short, elegant hair replied.

"Then I'm gonna kick asses!" Sollux responded and the jadeblood shook her head, and tugged on his sleeve. 

"No you're not, sit back down." She demanded, and Gamzee was surprised he did in fact sit back down. He shouted a loud 'Revolt!' in what he assumed to be an attempt at getting the last word in. Terezi stopped them a little ways away from the table, not speaking yet. Gamzee choose to wait and see what they were going to do. The jadeblood started the banter.

"Their uniforms are horrendous, they are terrible trolls, and they taxed my tea. I believe the words Dave would provide are 'Fuck them.'" She sipped at her mug much more slowly than the rest. 

"Fuck 'em, actually. Don't enunciate the first two letters, Kanaya. But yeah, essentially what'd I say." The human spoke now. Gamzee assumed he must be Dave, and that meant the jadeblood with the clipped voice tone was Kanaya. They were interesting. 

"Don't forget they use psionics as batteries essentially. We need to stop that as soon as possible too." Sollux grumbled from his seat. His voice got louder. "Fuck the Condescension." Terezi interrupted now. 

"Now Sollux, you should really watch your choice of words. Could get you into some real trouble." She stated, drawing attention to herself finally. 

"Oh look who's back. The high and mighty Pyrope." Sollux barked back, but he held a smile on his face. He must consider her a friend at least.

"Oh, but what would you do if I didn't come around? You wouldn't have anyone to make fun of." She responded cooly. "You know I'm right. There are a lot of supporters, and I support the revolution and your cause, but I don't have to go around advertising it." 

"Then how the fuck are you supposed to get people to join your side?" Sollux countered. Gamzee spoke now.

"Yeah, motherfucker. If you don't stand for anything, what'll you up and fall for?" Gamzee said the words simply. All eyes at the table turned towards him now. 

"Who the fuck is this?" Dave finally asked.


	3. (Enter Me.)

Gamzee looked around the table when he caught all their eyes, including Terezi who had left his side to take a seat at the table. He took a breath and straightened his stance once more. 

"Name's Gamzee Makara. And I motherfuckin stand for the revolution we all up and hearin’ about in the streets." He noticed Terezi make a gesture he was pretty sure was her rolling her eyes behind her glasses. The other three nodded in agreement. Kanaya spoke first. 

"Where are you from? Your accent is something I've not heard before. And why are you here of all places?" She asked before she took a sip of the drink in front of her. She seemed to consider her words and hurriedly added a sentence of reassurance. "I am not trying to offend, I assure you." 

"Uh, I'm from an island off the coast of New Alternia. The Island of Melody and Mirth. And don't you motherfuckin worry 'bout that sister. I didn't see no offense in your curiosity." He grinned at her, before looking back down at his hands briefly. He hadn't really had much social interaction in his life before he came to New Alternia. Since he had arrived he felt all he did was talk to ears that refused to listen. But he'd finally found an audience. "I up and came to go to college. For motherfuckin law, actually. All up and aiming to get a fast track in the college. Everything they teaching me, I already know." 

"Then what the fuck are you doing following Pyrope around for?" Sollux asked now, tone more somber again. 

"I don't know anyone here, but I kept up my ears onto her name many a time up at the school. I wanted to know how she graduated so quickly, but I guess school might have to wait if the cause motherfuckin needs me, you know? Besides, figured I could use a friend." He answered the yellowblood's question quickly, talking more than he needed to again. But he was surprised when everyone nodded agreement. 

"Alright, then I guess the last question in this impromptu interrogation is...why do you back the revolution?" Dave asked now, eyes hidden by a pair of glasses with the darkest tint he'd ever seen. He wondered where he came from that he had access to those luxuries. Or maybe they meant something to him. Gamzee made a reminder in his head to ask sometime. 

"Well, I ain't got nothing. Nothing but a promise right now, the promise of a degree, of a motherfuckin life. And where I come from, more than half of us don't get that chance. But this country, the motherfuckin promise of a miracle where I can live my life and possibly all up and have a hand in shaping it? That's a motherfuckin promise worth keeping faith in. Its worth backin' up, especially if it can motherfuckin help others too." He slowly made eye contact with Dave as spoke, as he slowly spoke faith into his own blood and bones until he felt it too. He felt the fire they each carried growing in him now. He slammed a fist down on the table. "Freedom beyond castes? Motherfuckin hell yeah. Defeating an arrogant sea bitch? Motherfuckin yes, I'm all over that." 

He grinned as they cheered now, waving the barmaid over. Dave reached over and grabbed a mug off the tray she carried and slid it over to Gamzee. He took it to mean he'd been accepted into the ranks of comradery with them now. Even Terezi smiled at him as he picked up the mug and held it out. They all raised their mugs to him and cheered. 

"To the revolution!" They all cheered, and Gamzee raised his voice with them and clinked his mug with theirs and took a long drink out of it. It was cold and fresh, vaguely citrusy on the back of his tongue. Dave reached over to the next table and got a chair, shoving it towards Gamzee. He took it and sat down between Dave and Sollux. 

"Well, as long as we're talking about ourselves, let me tell you my story." He said with a vague smile on his lips. 

"Oh good, I love this one!" Terezi piped up with the most genuine smile across her lips she'd worn yet. Dave shifted in his seat so he was sitting up more. 

"So, I was in Derse. I already knew about New Alternia. I was already planning on coming here. It sounded a whole lot better than Derse was at the moment. Then I started hearing talk of revolution, because any enemy of our enemy is our friend over in Derse. And it sounded like a great idea. About time someone told her where to shove it. But once revolution become a topic of interest, it became a lot harder to sneak out of the country. So how was I gonna pull it off? Well...my brother had an idea." Kanaya snorted but kept quiet. Dave seemed to fight off a smile as he continued. "So, I disguised myself as a pregnant woman by the name of Elizabeth. Oh it was great. Apparently nothing is scarier than a pregnant Dersite woman yelling at you in Dersian. I lectured a guard in an inn at one point and he left and called his mother. They hadn't spoken in years. Fixed their relationship just like that." Dave snapped his fingers as he dismissed himself. Gamzee had considered himself long winded, but he might have a run for his money with Dave. 

Everyone laughed at the table, Gamzee included. Kanaya cleared her throat now, sitting up more in her seat. She sat her mug down, and everyone quieted down. 

"Truth be told, I'm a seamstress, and I am fighting for a number of reasons. The first, and most minor in my opinion, being that their fashion is awful and they should not be allowed to restrict our wardrobes by bloodcaste. That is beyond ridiculous. The second, when we win our freedom I will have a name for myself and therefore my business would thrive. Third, they taxed my tea." She snorted again before taking another drink of her beer, before she smiled fondly across the table at Sollux then over at Dave, before settling her kind green gaze on him. "And the last being I have to look after my friends. That in itself is enough for me to go into battle at their side." 

Gamzee was touched by the kindness in her words. She reminded him of his own mother a bit, and he broke eye contact with a faint blush over his cheeks. He didn't really know how to react to anything yet, but something that genuine and strong could be overwhelming if he thought on it too long. But he didn't have to worry about that, because now Sollux stood up from the table. He turned quickly to look at the yellowblood. 

"I'm fighting for psionics. We're fucking used as batteries for ships and planes, and why? We could easily figure out a fuel source, but that would be inconvenient since we don't want to fucking try and develop new technology. Which, by the way, I've already got an idea for. And if we're not good enough for that, we're left in squalor and forgotten because they won’t let us be anything else. So first, freedom from Great Alternia, then freedom for yellowbloods!" Sollux let the entire rant out at once and Gamzee kept up with it, surprising even himself. He cheered and lifted his mug for Sollux. The yellowblood looked at him perplexed for a moment before he grinned and brought his own mug up again, clinking their mugs together messily before finishing his drink. 

Terezi stood and took the mug from Sollux, brow furrowed as she tried to quiet him down, and eventually she got him to sit back down in his seat. She sat back down and looked around before looking back to center of the group. He wasn't quite sure why she did it, but she had his attention now as she spoke. 

"Well, that's all well and good. But if all of you keep talking so loudly, you can't manipulate the situation to your favor. Not to mention if you keep running your mouths, you're going to paint giant targets on yourself just to get your asses kicked. You know I agree with everything you're saying, but be more professional." She lectured them, and from everyone else's facial expressions they'd all heard this many times. Finally Gamzee spoke. 

"Well, why the motherfuck not? No one's gonna join your motherfuckin cause if you don't all up and speak about it. You gotta repeat yourself and as loud as you can. You help motherfuckers by explaining the issue and the solution, and then you all up and got mad supporters. Just maybe you'll get somewhere then!" He argued his point with a laugh. He wanted to keep it light hearted, but he meant what he said. "I mean look around at this fine group of motherfucks we got. Dave ain't afraid to get his hands dirty. He came from another fucking country to get his fight on with us because he believed in some motherfuckers he didn't fucking know. And Sollux has plans already! Why shouldn't he fight for a motherfuckin cause that affects him? And Kanaya...she's motherfuckin here as a protector, to fight for her friends. That's incredible." 

Terezi huffed but fell silent, listening to him. He was gathering attention from more than just this table. Other people were listening in, and he let his voice carry as he continued on in this brief moment of confidence, now gesturing wildly as he spoke. 

"We're all motherfuckin here, and what are the odds? You wanna tell me the universe has no hand in bringing me here today, sister? Nah, I was brought here for a reason. To meet y'all, to motherfuckin make my choice! I'll finish college after the war. I got shit to do, friends to help, a motherfuckin WAR TO WIN!" He slammed his hand onto the table and the whole bar fell silent. He flushed again and looked away shyly. "I'm sorry, was I too motherfuckin loud again? Sometimes I get really excited and my mouth just up and runs away with me. I ain't ever had friends before, so I don't really know what I'm doing here." 

He nervously looked up, to look at everyone. Terezi watched him coolly, keeping her face at the perfect neutrality. Kanaya was blushing, and he realized how pitiful he had just been. He turned to Sollux instead. 

"Holy shit..." Sollux said, looking astonished. 

"The holiest of shits." Dave promptly agreed. "You know, as soon as possible, we really need you to keep running your mouth off. You might be the answer to our lack of communication with the masses." 

"I'm afraid I have to get going now, palhonchos," Terezi curtly spoke as she stood now, clearing her throat. "I have a meeting early tomorrow. Don't get too wild."

Gamzee watched her leave, then looked back at the group. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to stay or leave now. He'd come with Terezi, and she had left him knowing he had no understanding of these things. He shifted in his seat when he looked up at Kanaya again when she reached over to pat his arm. 

"Stay. We all have much to learn about our new friend." She asked him, and her tone was so warm he was briefly sent back to island winds and sunshine, and if he listened closely he was sure he could hear his mother singing. 

"Alright," he agreed simply and nodded, resting a hand on her's. Then he let go and let himself listen and learn about his friends, so he could learn about his new home.


	4. Raise a Glass!

A couple hours later, and several more rounds of beer in, they were all friends. They had each shared their lives with him, and he told them everything about his own thus far. They'd ended the night with talk of the revolution and all the good it would do, how great their new nation would be. 

And right now, they were arm in arm, a pair on either side of the table as they held their mugs up. They were going to have a toast. Probably their fifth one since Terezi had left them to their own devices. Kanaya was by far the most sober of their group, but even she was in the spirit. Gamzee was the one that broke the comfortable silence.

"I may not live to see the end!" He started the chant, swaying with Sollux's arm on his shoulder. 

"I may not live to see the end!" They all repeated, Sollux being the loudest. 

"But I'd gladly give my life!" Gamzee let the words flow. He knew exactly what to say now. 

"But I'd gladly give my life!" They repeated again, and he couldn't help the smile that spread across his lips. 

"To change the system for our descendants!" He smiled across at Kanaya. 

"To change the system for our descendants!" They chanted back, and he noticed Dave was grinning now. 

"And when they tell our history!" He lifted his mugged as they repeated him, all following the same action. 

"They'll begin with tonight." He ended with a grin on his own face before he finished his beer. They all cheered and drained their own mugs. That was their final round, they all knew it though none of them had said it. 

Sollux looked around the table and eventually took his arm off Gamzee's shoulder. He smiled and elbowed Gamzee in the side before speaking himself. 

"To our fucking freedom, to something they can never take away from us. And fuck, to the four of us! Good friends to fight beside, if you ask me." The yellowblood spoke evenly, having finally mellowed out Gamzee guessed. 

"And may our ranks rise!" Kanaya shouted and lifted her own fist into the air before looking embarrassed of her own volume. She cleared her throat and settled down before she finished up. "Both in battle and in friendship." 

"And lastly, to our glory. And to our…motherfucking victory." Dave smirked as he emphasized the borrowed word of choice. Gamzee laughed and agreed, and they got up and paid their tabs. Then, as one drunken unit, they headed home.


	5. The Mingfang Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, across town...

It was bright and sunny, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was the first time in days the weather had been this nice. And Vriska Serket was determined to get out of that house and into fresh air. She brushed her wild black hair back over her shoulders before continuing down the sidewalk with her sisters. 

She wore a blue dress with delicate white lace, with a corset and a petticoat. She wore a shorter dress and her red boots out of principal. Mindfang could insist they dress like this to be proper ladies all she wanted, her boots stayed. And she made all her dresses shorter the moment she received them. She took a lot of walks and she couldn't very well have her skirts dragging on the ground, she had insisted. But mostly it was out of spite. 

Feferi stood at her right, and she looked like she was made of sugar. Her wavy hair was pulled back by two braids that had been braided with strands of pearls and pinned in the back with a seashell. Her fins were dusted a light fuchsia, and they almost made her face look rounder when her hair was pulled back. Her dress was the normal length of the current fashion, and it was a pale pink with white lace and beading up the sides like coral. 

Aradia stood at her left, all burgandyblood fire in red and darkness. Her corset was a dark grey with black ribbons lacing it up in the back. Her skirt was an ombre of reds in the form of ruffles. Her curly hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the easiest thing she could manage. She didn't wake up early to preen herself like Feferi, and Vriska understood that completely. 

She huffed as she walked along. This pace wouldn't do. They were almost to the town square and they had to get back before the sun set. 

"Come oooooooon! We're almost there!" She encouraged the as she walked faster. 

"I'm still not entirely shore where we're going exactly." Feferi answered her honestly with a smile. "Though the fresh air is nice. The porch gets stuffy in the rain." 

"Are we going downtown? Mindfang told us not to." Aradia piped up as she looked around, giving away that she'd already been downtown before. 

"I caught that, Megido. We're going to the park. The flowers are nice. And the old lady said we could get out for a while. It’s her own fault she didn't specify we couldn't go downtown this exact time." Vriska responded with a smirk before she jumped when Feferi squealed beside her.

"Oh! I can get some more flowers for my vase! You remembered, Vriska. You're the best." Feferi beamed now, picking up the pace as well now. 

"Yes, I totally did that." She replied, quickly claiming credit that was given to her without question. Feferi saw the good in everything and everyone, even if it was just coincidence. Or the cosmic Gods that may or may not exist having a good laugh at their expense. Vriska appreciated that brightness that her sister brought with her. The ceruleanblood saw the gates ahead and pointed. "Fucking finally, we made it!" 

"Language." Aradia scolded without any heart behind it, though she was grinning at her own joke regardless. 

"Yes, Miss Mindfang." Feferi replied before Vriska could even get the thought together, and she ran towards the gates laughing. 

"They grow up so fast." Vriska stopped to catch her breath beside Aradia. 

"You know, I like that Feferi isn't a sarcastic person. You know what she means. Don't ruin that." Aradia laughed at her side before continuing on. 

"But it was cute! Don't act like it wasn't cute!" Vriska argued as they hurried to catch up to Feferi. She was already in the garden, browsing through the flowers. She even already had a couple in her hand. 

"Alright, yes. It was cute. Now stop it." Aradia smiled before heading over to Feferi to ask her about the flowers. 

"Augh! Fiiiiiiiine." Vriska resigned before joining their side once again. They argued, but she loved her sisters and she cherished the time they had together. She'd be married off soon, and seeing them will become a little harder after that happened. She just hoped she had more of a hand in picking her husband than some did. She was in Mindfang's house, so she was pretty sure she had final say of the choices. So that was an encouraging thought she hung onto. She closed her eyes and just let the wind blow gently across her face. Closing her eyes sometimes helped with the headaches caused by her eightfold eye, a bloodline trait in Serkets. She let herself relax and enjoy the sounds of her sisters being happy, when she heard footsteps. She groaned when she heard the voice of the intruder and she opened her eyes. 

"I thought I smelled blueberry sass. I just knew it couldn't be the flowers. They smelled amazing just yesterday." Terezi spoke with a smile that just didn't seem to fit her face right now. 

"I don't know how your crazy senses work, but could you not breathe too close to me? I just had this dress cleaned, and I'd really like to keep your stink off it, thanks." Vriska frowned as she turned to the blind troll beside her. She wore a teal button up shirt, black pants, and a red belt. The colors clashed, but Pyrope insisted the smell combination was amazing. Whatever that meant. In her hand she held her cane, with her palm resting on the dragon head carved into it. She suspected it was bone, but she couldn’t confirm it.

"Oh, so snarky. Conversations with you are always the best. Spicy and challenging. And you do still hold the record on getting the last word in to this day." Terezi responded, looking over to Aradia and Feferi as they stopped to look over to Vriska. "Ladies, you look incredible today." 

"Like you know. And no, that isn't a dig at you being blind. It’s because you have the fashion sense of a slug. Worse than a slug. A slimy slug. The slimiest." Vriska answered for them, and they went back to looking at flowers and very pointedly ignoring them. Vriska pushed on as she put a hand on her hip. "And it’s because you never stop smiling. It’s like your smile is too big for your face, and it’s just always mildly unnerving to everyone around you." 

"See? This is why I should marry you. I never know what you're going to say. And Mindfang is powerful. I'm sure I could come up with enough perks if you gave me enough time." Terezi shot back and Vriska walked away and towards her sisters again. 

"Over my dead body, Pyrope. Feferi, did you get enough flowers?" Vriska dismissed Terezi, and when Feferi smiled and nodded Vriska clapped her hands. "Great! Then let's take the longer path back out, so we go by the pond and take even more time." 

"It was nice talking to you too, Miss Serket." Terezi grinned as she waved, and Vriska turned around. 

"Right. Where are my manners?" Vriska asked before she curtsied towards the tealblood. "It was a pleasure to speak to you. Have a splendid afternoon, Miss Pyrope." When she stood back up, she flipped her off with both hands.

Then she turned and walked away now, Feferi and Aradia quickly catching up to her as she headed along the designated path. She was irritated, and she stomped along cursing softly until she had gone far enough and worked it out of herself. Finally Aradia spoke up. 

"So, I'll bite. Exactly why isn't Terezi an option? I mean, there could be worst options, she's already a lawyer, and she's not some creepy old troll." Aradia listed off things on her fingers, before stopping. "So why not marry her?" 

"Because I want to punch her right in her in her smug face, and she just thinks I'm flirting with her. I can't deal with that every day for the rest of my life." Vriska groaned, throwing her hands out in frustration. "And! And, she has no backbone. She doesn't make her own choices, and just follows someone else's lead." 

"Well those seem like reelly good reasons not to marry her, so we've settled that." Feferi ended anymore questioning Aradia could do, and let a comfortable silence fall over them. 

Vriska enjoyed the rest of their walk. She liked the sounds of the frogs and crickets around the pond. She stopped as they passed it and looked carefully across the water until she spotted a turtle poking its head up through the lily pads. It was ridiculous, but she had to do it every time she passed it. She smiled, relaxed once more as she continued on home with her sisters at a leisurely pace. 

They made it back home with plenty of time before their curfew, and the rest of her evening was pleasant.


	6. For the Revolution!

A few months later, and they were back in the same bar. This time instead of empty mugs all over the table, it was books and papers. There were baskets of bread and pitchers of water provided by the barkeep to encourage their studies. Gamzee sat next to Sollux, both bent over it and arguing quietly between them over how to better phrase a sentence in one of Gamzee's essays on psionic freedom. He had started focusing on it as well as the revolution for college. A few had even been published already. Sollux was dividing his time between Gamzee's essay and the plans he had laying on the table for a ship powered off steam instead of psionics. 

Dave sat across from them, attention fixed on a long letter he held in his hand as he absent-mindedly ate a piece of bread. He had another four unopened envelopes sitting on the table in front of him, each with a different hand writing on the front. 

Kanaya held what Gamzee thought might be a shirt in one hand, her other hand expertly sewing the edge. She was grumbling about poor fashion tastes as she kept working quietly. 

There was a comfortable silence over the group of friends, even when Terezi joined them. Gamzee looked up and waved. Sollux nodded his greeting as he drew a straight line across the paper, then began to write tiny notes along it. Dave grunted his greeting as he finished the page he was on, then turned it over. Terezi hummed in response as she sat a file on the table then began working on her own paper. No one ever asked her how she could write and read, they just accepted her into the impromptu study group. 

No one looked up when the door swung open again. There were loud footsteps that almost seemed to stutter. Whoever they belonged to was nervous. That caught Gamzee's attention and he looked up to see a burgandyblood with horns he thought resembled antennae. He seemed nervous, yet he walked with his head held high, and he had a long staff strapped to his back. His clothes weren't as impressive as the weapon he carried though, with a golden head piece with red beads dangling off of it with tassels at the ends. He walked to the nearest opening in the bar, and Gamzee considered what he could have been. He wasn't a minister, he didn't wear the paint. And he wasn't a bard, as he didn't have an instrument. Then he noticed the paper in his hand and he groaned realizing what was about to happen. 

The sound of discontentment caught the attention of his friends, and they looked up at him before following his gaze. 

"Fifty boonbucks says that's an imperialist manifesto." Dave broke the tension, and Sollux grinned. 

"I'll take that. But I'm putting sixty on him leaving here either crying or in a huff after Gamzee gets a hold of him." Sollux responded, reaching across to shake hands with Dave. 

"I'm not quite sure how that betting system really works, but I'm sure this will be much more amusing than it usually is. I've heard him before." Kanaya stated with a smile before looking back at the cloth in her hands. 

"Alright, well I have to put my input in now. Give him a fair shot at least, Mr. Grape. Not everyone talks in paragraphs." Terezi teased behind her own grin of neutrality. 

Gamzee didn't respond to any of it as he watched the new troll turn to face his unsuspecting audience, then clear his throat. 

"My name is Livius Vitale, and I present Free Thoughts on the Rebellion." The now named burgandyblood unrolled the scroll he held in his hands and began to read aloud to the room. Gamzee sat up in his seat now. "Take no heed to the rabble and their call to revolution, for they have no concern for you. Chaos and bloodshed is not the answer, resist their command over you! This Council does not speak for me, this game they play is too dangerous. Pray the Condescension shows you her mercy! For shame!" 

"Oh, let him talk. He'll leave soon." Terezi insisted when Gamzee stood up. He had a wide smile across his face as he walked over to stand about five feet away from the imperialist. He waved at the confused troll, and stood up straighter when it looked like Livius was about to start reading again. For the next ten minutes, every time the burgandyblood spoke, Gamzee spoke too. 

"Take no heed to the rabble--" Livius started a sentence. 

"He'd have you all motherfuckin panic, but we all know the revolution is already here!" Gamzee started as well, his voice rising over the other troll's clipped tone. 

"--and their call to rebellion." Livius finished. 

"And we're gonna motherfuckin win it too!" Gamzee argued.

"For they have no concern for you." The burgandyblood met Gamzee's eyes in challenge now, and Gamzee smiled at him. He was game. 

"You know, its really motherfuckin hard not breaking character. You're really motherfuckin funny, brother." Gamzee taunted now. He pretended to be serious again before laughing a little bit. 

"Chaos and bloodshed--" Livius spoke a little louder, but Gamzee cut him off again. 

"Is already motherfuckin happenin'." Gamzee finished the sentence, holding his hands out at his sides as other trolls in the room murmured agreement. 

"Resist their command over you!" Livius commanded. 

"You should really stop reading." Gamzee countered. "Talk like adults." 

"This Council does not speak for me!" The smaller troll rose his voice a little more. Gamzee was louder still. 

"It really doesn't motherfuckin make sense. You motherfuckin argue on costs, but look at the Harbor of Storms and Songs! Motherfuckin tax us out the ass so we can't buy a goddamn thing. Such petty control costs more than it takes the Council to fund an entire motherfuckin country." Gamzee argued and Livius met his eyes, and nodded a little. Gamzee grinned, hoping he might sway this guy yet. 

"The game they play is too dangerous." Livius countered, before shrugging off Gamzee again. 

"You know, a seagoat's got better words than what you got coming out your motherfuckin mouth." Gamzee did a little flourish with his hand, motioning for him to continue as the other patrons started to chuckle. 

"Pray the Condescension shows you her mercy!" Livius started up again. 

"But I'll be a monkey's uncle if you ain't all up and got the same mange though." Gamzee stated, giving a mocking respectful look to the bug like troll. 

"For shame!" Livius scolded, and Sollux laughed the loudest this time. He always was a sucker for good ridicule. The shocked troll cleared his throat and started again. "Take no heed to the rabble and their call to rebellion!" 

"If you repeat your motherfuckin self again, I'm gonna lose my shit." Gamzee warned, and this time when the imperialist went to speak again, the rest of the patrons cut him off. 

"For the revolution!" They challenged him, and Gamzee grinned and joined in. "For the revolution!" 

Gamzee returned to his seat laughing as Livius finally gave up and absconded quickly. 

"I swear, you're such a child." Terezi scolded him, but before Gamzee could argue, they heard a commotion out in the streets. They didn't have to rush out, as someone ran in. A jadeblood stood in the door out of breath, and as soon as she could she told them exactly what was happening outside. 

"The Condescension responded to the declaration of freedom the Council sent!" She quickly informed before she left as quickly as she appeared. The group stood and rushed outside to hear the official response.


	7. Oceans Rise, Empires Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Across the ocean in Great Alternia, Her Imperial Condescension has received a letter.

In the royal palace of the Condescension, the empress lounged in her golden throne, legs thrown over one side as she held a mirror up in front of her as she watched the hair she had her servants braiding for her. Her hair was far too much for her to braid herself, and she honestly didn't want to do it. So why waste her time when she could just make someone else do it instead?

Even dressed in a full gown of fuschia and gold instead of her usual bodysuit today, the Condesce still looked just as intimidating as always. She stood at eight feet if you included her large arching horns. She wore her usual jewelry of gold, pearls, and diamonds, though her crown rested in her lap currently. She watched the servants braid her hair and she smiled at her reflection. 

"Ain't no beach betta lookin' than me." She stated, not requiring any input from anyone else she kept in the room. The same violetblood stood at the foot of the steps leading to her throne. He had looked nervous when he came in, and she made him wait. Nothing he could say could possibly be important enough for him to interrupt her without her first acknowledging him. 

Eventually she got tired of him still standing there and shuffling about, and she let out a sigh. She noticed her servants flinch in the mirror and she smirked at that before holding her free hand out. 

"What in the ever-glubbin’ fuck do you have for me? I didn't call for you, so it betta be important, buoy." She stated before turning her head slightly to look at him. He flushed violet and quickly brought the letter to her. She snatched it from his hand and sat the mirror down, and frowned when she didn't feel her hair being braided. "No one said stop." 

Once she felt the gentle tugs on her hair again, the fuschiablood ripped the envelope open and pulled out the letter. She unfolded it, and was surprised at both the legibility of the writing and the choice to write in red. It was meant to offend, and she was. She read it over before reading it out loud. 

"We the people hold these truths to be apparent. All trolls are created equal and each have certain unalienable rights that go beyond caste and creed, among which are the right to life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness..." She trailed off as she read it over a few more times in completion before crumbling the paper up and throwing it away from her as if it might explode in her hand. "What the fuck is this happy hoofbeast shit?" 

She picked the mirror up again and looked back at her hair. They had finished braiding it, and she picked up her crown and placed it back on her head before swinging her legs back into the position they belonged in. She slipped her golden heels back into place as she thought before she pointed to the violetblood. 

"Go get yo shit. We got a letter to write." She watched him scurry off before she started speaking her thoughts aloud to the blueblooded guards standing at attention at the door. 

"Poor New Alternian trolls." The Condescension laughed at her own mockery, and at the nervous smiles on the sweaty guards as they laughed along with her quietly. The violetblood from before rushed back into the room, pen and paper in hand. She lounged back in her seat to start dictating the letter.

"Aight, good. Got yo'shellf right back here. Write this down." She cleared her throat before she spoke, voice loud, clear, and more mocking with every word. "Poor New Alternian trolls. You've been told what to do, and what to think, just like you have been for sweeps. We made a deal when I agreed to colonize that new land. Now you've gone off and made yo'selves a thorn in my side, and I've got no choice but to put you back in yo' place. 'Cause even across the sea, you're mine. I'll humor your war, and you'll be motherglubbin crawling back to me beggin' for my praise." She said it as she thought of it, annoyance filling her to the brim with every sentence. As soon as the violetblood was finished writing, she was frowning as she watched him scurry away again. 

She turned to the rustblood servants who sat near her throne on their knees, heads bowed, and she smiled again. She spoke to them now.

"After all, empires rise up all the time. Any are capable of falling. Except mine. You'll always be mine." She hissed the last sentence out as she leaned over in her throne towards them, and laughed hysterically as they scooted back on the floor. She went back to lounging in her throne, laughter subsiding as she muttered to herself. "This will be fun."


	8. The Venerated Veteran

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the General!

Only months after the Condescension sent her response to the declaration of rebellion, she sent her first wave of troops over to put them in their place. Gamzee, Sollux, Kanaya, and Dave all joined the battle. Right now, their chief of command was threshecutionor lieutenant Karkat Vantas. He had all the knowledge of sweeps in the Condesce's army. He knew all their tactics, and he was a natural leader. The position fell to him automatically, and he took to it like a seadweller to water. 

Right now, Gamzee stood in the front lines with Sollux and Dave flanking him. Kanaya chose to stand on the other side of Dave. They all had their weapons at the ready. Gamzee had his clubs, the balance of them in his hands felt so natural. Kanaya had her lipstick tube he knew turned into a chainsaw in her hand. Currently she was touching up her jade lipstick. Dave held his sword at his side, shield in the other hand, and shades in place. He was a knight in Derse. Melee combat was his specialty. And Sollux stood with his helm on, psionics crackling at the ready. He'd designed the helm himself to help him concentrate his powers so he could do more things in a given moment than he could before. Gamzee was sure the only other person here who would throw himself into this more than him was the powerful yellowblood at his side. 

They could see someone approaching, and everyone saluted the chief in their own ways as he approached. Gamzee looked him over. He stood at about six foot, maybe a little shoulder. He was about the average height of a troll. People would have you think he was smaller. He wore a red hood over his head, and he wore armor made of Alternian steel with his symbol emblazoned across the chest in that same bright red. At his sides were a pair of sickles with chains attaching the two together. His red eyes seemed to glow as he looked over his forces with a scowl across his face. Finally he spoke up, his voice loud and resonating. 

"Today, we join together for battle. Here's what we're expecting. The Condesce trains her armies to overwhelm. She uses numbers against us. So we need to fight with everything we have, stick to our groups, and never let ourselves get surrounded or backed into a fucking corner! We need to fight savagely! We need to be brutal! We need to fight like our freedom is on the fucking line! Because it goddamn is!" He shouted at everyone, and a silence fell over the crowd as he spoke. As he encouraged everyone, Gamzee noticed everyone around him hold their weapons a little tighter, and he could hear a chorus of growls start up among the trolls. "I need four squads of twenty. Let's fucking go!" 

The rebels burst into various war cries before they started to divide up. Karkat asked for a volunteer from each group and instructed for them to go to his tent for orders when they'd decided on who. Gamzee could feel the tension in the air. There was pride amongst it to. They were all proud to be here in this moment. 

\--------~*~--------

Karkat Vantas headed back to his tent after the speech everyone had come to expect from him. He pushed past the flaps of the tent entrance and walked to the map he had on the table in the center of the not-room. 

He looked over the map, little stones set where he knew the Condesce's troops were attacking from. He looked down at where his hand rested on a letter he needed to send to the Council. He sat about to that, hurriedly finishing it up and calling for a messenger. He sends it off as four trolls walk into the tent, and he turns to greet them. A bronzeblood with metal legs, an oliveblood with a staff on his back, a tealblood with a cane, and a cobaltblood with a metal crossbow strapped to her back, and kataars held in her clenched fists. Fuck. These trolls were intense. He shrugged before pointing to the table and heading over to it.

"Alright. You’re the fucking leaders. Congratulations. Now come here. Alright, each of you needs to lead your group from one of each of these four points." He explained as he traced his finger over the map. "Her forces are coming from here, and we need to cut them off. The goal is to take out as many as we can without losing out own forces. If something happens and you need to retreat, you take the closest route to over here." He traced his hand along another route across the small bay. They could either sail or go by land. He explained everything, and let them choose their positions based off who they knew they were leading. As soon as everyone knew what they were doing he sent them off again, eyes still on the map. He had at least three other letters he needed to write yet. He could admit he needed help right about now. 

He was leading his men in a little after everyone else. His goal for doing so was to round up injured or dead, while clearing out his own chunk of her forces. He served in her army, he knew what she was up to. His group were all veterans like him. He sent a few with each group as well, and about thirty minutes later, he tallied his forces then headed out with the men he had left. He could hear trolls yelling from here. As they rode closer he could hear the whistles in the air. 

Fuck, he hadn't planned for the canons! He knew they probably had canons, but he hadn't accounted for them regardless. Now he was pissed. He heard a bombshell heading their way and he yelled for his men as he sped up his mount.

"Incoming!" They sat off at the fastest pace they could manage, getting out of the way of the detonation and the scrap metal just barely. "Fuck." 

This was going to be rough. 

\--------~*~--------

Gamzee's ears sang with his own pulse as he charged through the Condesce's forces. Mostly they were all lowbloods right now. He was sure a few would switch sides by the end of the fight, if not in the middle of it. He knew it’s because she thought this war would fast. So she sent who she considered dispensable. He lifted his club and brought it down into someone's ribs as he roared at them. The bronzeblood dropped to the ground, throwing his hands up in surrender as his weapons hit the ground beside him. 

The tall indigoblood looked around the battlefield. He could see fire in places from the explosives, and the field would be hazy with smoke and settling dust soon. They could use that to their advantage, maybe take out some more trolls as they silently moved through the trollmade fog. Gamzee turned his head as he heard Kanaya's chainsaw. She screamed as she brought the spinning blade down into a burgandyblood's side. Blood splattered across her face and she pulled back and kicked the troll away. She turned off her machine again as she joined Gamzee's side. 

"Where's Dave? Do you see Sollux?" She seemed surprisingly calm as she joined him, but he could see her body quivering. She felt at home out here in the battlefield, but her concern overpowered the bloodlust she could have had. Once again he was amazed at he self control. He looked across the field and pointed them out once he spotted them. 

Sollux moved his hands around as he threw enemy forces through the air. He looked over to a couple of rebels fighting with an imperialist, and he used his psionics to pick up a large rock and throw it over onto the enemies. He looked over at Gamzee now and smiled, motioning to cover not too far from them. Gamzee nodded and Sollux started ordering their own to the cover. 

Dave looked to Sollux and took his position ahead of him as they headed to cover. He calmly dispatched any imperialist that tried to attack him or any of the men he was guarding along the way. A lot of the time, he chose to swing his shield down on heads to knock them unconscious, an expert at his craft. 

Gamzee ran quickly to Kanaya's side and they ran together as they joined Dave and Sollux. He looked over the group and nodded. 

"Alright. All this smoke has it motherfuckin hazier than a soothsayer's tent. Which means if we go all quiet like, we can sneak around and take them out. While some of us fuck them up, the rest of us need to get rid of their motherfuckin advantage they all got on us." He grinned as he talked, before leaning towards the group. "Let's steal their motherfuckin canons." 

Everyone looked at him before Kanaya started laughing, though Dave was the one to speak. 

"Its fucking genius." Dave agreed before turning to the group. "I'm leading the distraction force. Sollux should go with you, Gam. He can fucking throw their canons back at them. Take care of both problems." 

"Not their canons." Sollux spoke up as he grinned at his friends. "Their ammo. Take out as many ships as we can, take the fucking canons for ourselves. I'm sure there's ammo for them stashed around here somewhere." He flexed his fingers a bit, red and blue sparks crackling and popping around his horns. "I fucking got this." 

They divided up into two groups. Dave's group headed out quietly, letting the haze obscure them. Before Gamzee led their group, Kanaya reached out and touched his arm. He looked to her and gave her a smile that showed he understood her gesture before he headed out. This plan would turn the tables in their favor. 

\--------~*~--------

Karkat had gone through the battle field doing exactly as he planned. The canons hadn't been fired in the last hour of this six hour long battle. And it still wasn't over. He got as many men out of there and sent to the medicullers as he could before he had to follow his forces. It seems like half of the groups he had sent had gone to the meeting point by land. He could see the other half almost across the bay. 

He chose to ride across on the water, and they loaded onto a boat. He had sent his horse with a soldier to take a wounded troll back out of the battle. He headed out, thanking every god he knew that he had ridden the ocean with gamblignants before. Halfway across, a ship seemed to realize they weren't imperialists, and a canon fired at them. It hit the back of their ship above water level. They were almost there when they were hit again. Now they would make it to land, but they had no way of steering.

The ship hit rocks before it hit shore, and a wave slammed into it knocking it the rest of the way home. He helped everyone get off the ship and they fled from the wreckage before Karkat tallied his forces. They were all here. He nodded before he pointed forward. He led them to the meeting point. He looked over the remaining trolls and gave a deep sigh, relieved to see they hadn't lost many people yet. He looked around and started dividing groups up and sending them into different sections of the town. 

Their instructions were to clear innocents out to safe areas while getting rid of enemy troops, and once each group had surveyed their whole section they were instructed to continue on to Barklem. They would regroup, check their damages, and plan for the next fight. After every group had left again, he started towards his section. He could hear screaming and he could see imperialists dragging trolls out of houses. Women and children were among them, fighting desperately. 

He let loose a battle cry of his own as he charged back into battle, one sickle in his hand as he swung the chain in the other. 

\--------~*~--------

Karkat slumped over the table and the map on it. He growled lowly as he wrote fiercely one handed on a piece of paper. They got through their first fight fine, but they couldn't keep this pace up forever. They needed far more supplies than they had. He needed the rest of the supplies that the Council promised him. He finished the letter quickly then started on the letter to the forces he needed to get to tomorrow to lead. Because no one could fucking lead but him. 

"This is bullshit." He growled out before he slammed his fist onto the table. He sighed and sat back in the chair he was sitting in before someone cleared their throat. He looked up quickly to see the intruder and was shocked when he noticed the tealblood from earlier.

"Permission to speak, Commander Vantas?" She asked and Karkat really looked her over now. She was blind, but her other senses were probably incredibly high. The fact that she had been a volunteer earlier meant she had probably led before. 

"Yeah, sure. Why the fuck not? But first, who the hell are you?" He grumbled in response before sitting back up in the chair. 

"Terezi Pyrope. I fought in the east Alternian war. I was second in command until our leader took a spear to the lungs. In summary, I think I might be of assistance." She started as she approached, and he looked her over hesitantly before she continued on. "I've got some ideas. Maybe we can use them to fight from here instead of continuing west..." 

"Yeah…?" He stood up, ready to start humoring her when someone else entered his tent. Who the fuck was it now. He turned to see a young indigoblood with his head bent and shoulders slumped, trying to keep from getting his tall spiraling horns tangled up in the tent ropes above his head. Karkat kept himself from laughing at him when he spoke. 

"You wanted to motherfuckin see me, sir?" He asked, confusion written on his face. 

"You're Gamzee Makara then. Yeah, I fucking did." Karkat responded, remembering he had heard his men talking about someone pulling off some amazing strategy earlier. Stealing canons and using smoke to help hide them. He had also heard rumors of someone by the same name being amazing at secretarial tasks. He needed help. He couldn't keep up with planning, leading, writing everyone he needed to, and keeping up with supplies by himself. He suddenly remembered Terezi, and he cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Makara, have you met Pyrope?" 

"Sure have motherfucker. We all up and can't seem to stop meeting." Gamzee grinned over at Terezi, who kept a neutral look on her face as she nodded at him. 

"Mr. Grape." She stated simply before turning back to Karkat. "Like I was saying, I look forward to your leadership, Commander Vantas." 

"Thank you. And Ms. Pyrope." Karkat barked out, before he calmed himself down and spoke again with more control as she put her entire focus on him once more. "Make sure to stop and let the medicullers look you over. Everyone needs to make sure they're in top condition." 

Terezi's smile twisted a little at the edges before she nodded and exited the tent. Karkat grabbed a chair and pulled it over, offering it to his guest. If he kept getting caught in strings, the redblood wouldn't be able to stop from laughing. He needed to be professional right now. Gamzee took the seat visibly thankful, and let himself sink into it. Karkat took his own now. 

"Did I motherfuckin do something wrong I don't know about?" Gamzee asked finally and Karkat shook his head. 

"No, not at all. I wanted to speak to you, because honestly I could use your fucking help." Karkat explained immediately, wanting to give him comfort as well. "Actually, I've heard a lot about you. Flying through your classes, and you can manage any task no matter the pressure. The only thing I don't understand is why no one can seem to hire you." 

"Cause everyone wants me to write their motherfuckin letters, and I wanna be here on the front lines." Gamzee countered immediately, a frown gracing his features now. "I wanna fight with pride, brother. Like we all do." 

"You know, I was a lot like you when I was a kid. You have a head full of fantasies of being remembered as a martyr." Karkat responded coolly, sitting back in his chair now. He reached over for a bottle of whiskey and a couple glasses. He poured a little of the amber liquid into each glass and passed one to Gamzee. "You need to fucking stop that shit. Dying is goddamn easy. Living is the struggle, boy. Think about what I'm offering you here. I know you used the smoke and dust to hide yourselves in a sort of stealth raid. And when you had them preoccupied with decreasing their numbers, you led another group to their canons. From what I've heard, a psionic in your group followed your command to use his powers to launch canonballs into ships. While you stole their canons. And you sank half the remaining imperialist ships in the harbor. And that's why I fucking need you." 

Karkat watched him carefully as the younger troll took the glass and looked it over before downing it. Then he asked a question. 

"Why the motherfuck you up and gettin' my thinksponge runnin'?" Gamzee asked, his voice low. 

"I'm being honest. I'm fucking running myself ragged trying to do everything. The Council promised more supplies than they've actually delivered on. I have to lead every single fucking battle, and my brain is so fried I can't fucking fathom strategy anymore. You launched canonballs into ships! Without the fucking canons! I would never have thought of that! That's not the shit they teach you in the Condescension's army. And your planning is exactly how we could fucking level the playing field. Take the fucking job." Karkat let loose his concerns, all the problems he was facing. He knew he needed more help beyond Gamzee, but if he could get his help it'd be a great start. He watched Gamzee as he picked up his own glass and downed it as quickly as he could. Gamzee seemed to consider every option he could conceive before he finally nodded. 

"Yeah. Sure. But if you think I'm motherfuckin clever, then you need to meet the rest of my team. Sollux, the psionic who threw the canonballs? That was his idea. And he motherfuckin kept our entire team safe from the same motherfuckin spot he started in. Kanaya motherfuckin levels enemy trolls, and she's pretty motherfuckin good at blending into any crowds. We could use that." He sat up in his seat and leaned over the table, sliding the glass back to Karkat, who refilled them both again with a smile. "And Sir Dave Elizabeth Strider. A human immigrant from motherfuckin Derse who was all up and determined to join another country's rebellion." 

"Alright. Good. What else you got?" Karkat encouraged him as he leaned over the table now, sipping at his glass.

"Well, I mentioned blending in. We need to motherfuckin get someone in among the imperialist. They could gather plans and information that could motherfuckin put us a step ahead in the game." Gamzee offered, and Karkat was amazed. Why hadn't he even considered that? Pride, probably. He couldn't subconsciously force himself to be sneaky. Plus he'd never have access to such strategies as a threshecutionor. He was too low on the totem pole. And before he could even form words, Gamzee spoke again. "Ambush. We could run reconnaissance and attack when they ain't suspectin' shit." 

"You're a regular fountain of fucking knowledge. God, its refreshing. Lets get started. I need like, ten more letters written tonight alone. Getting replies from the Council is like pulling teeth from a rabid meowbeast. Long, painful, and not nearly enough payoff for the fucking action." Karkat looked visibly relieved as he focused on the map in between them on the table. He started to point at areas, already forming viable plans for many circumstances with Gamzee's help. 

He was sure they could pull this off. He had a right hand man, someone he knew in his bones he could depend on. The indigoblood would never know it, but he was a life saver. And tomorrow, when he spoke in front of his soldiers again, he'd have Gamzee at his side. The troll was already a comfort to half his troops here. And Karkat felt like a weight was finally lifted off him. They could win this.


	9. A Midwinter's Ball

Almost two sweeps later, Gamzee stood out as the right hand of Karkat. Everyone knew how he'd hired the young indigoblood almost immediately on sight. They either knew from Gamzee or heard it from Karkat himself. The Commander knew Gamzee was incredible with writing, and he was a natural strategist. And the redblood also knew he couldn't let Gamzee go. He was his crutch right now, as he helped lift a weight off Karkat's shoulders and let him plan better. 

But even though Gamzee had a position many envied and admired, he kept trying to weasel himself back into the fighting. He kept asking for a troop of his own to command, to try and help bring the plans he'd carefully helped create into fruition. But Karkat kept arguing him back down. It was the middle of winter, and he was a highblood. His lower body temperature wouldn't allow him to withstand the cold. Gamzee kept pushing, but he never crossed the line drawn in the sand. No one could understand his need to be in the fight. They just chalked it up to him having a death wish. 

Now, Gamzee was known for his position and for his skill with a quill. But few knew he was incredible with people. When he had a goal to reach or an ideal to defend, he was relentless. He argued with ferocity, and he often turned debates into lectures. The only one who could out talk him was Dave, and the only one who could even reach his level of intensity in debate was Sollux. But when Gamzee had neither of these things, he could talk anyone into anything. He especially dabbled in his quadrants. 

Quadrants were also a great distraction for him. He'd had a few pale and black flings, but he always kept his matespritship untouched. He understood rivalry well, and he needed the close comfort of a moirail from time to time. But he had yet to experience the intensity that came with the red quadrant. Besides, culture dictated that trolls only got married to their matesprit. The traditions had been brought from Derse and Prospit, and Old Alternia worked it into troll culture. It was often used to build up social standings, but some trolls still held to the belief you should only marry if you have that deep connection. Gamzee was not one of those trolls. 

Right now, he stood in front of the double doors that opened into the ballroom. He was thinking of words, and good opening lines. It would help more when he was actually able to see anyone, but it never hurt to prepare regardless. He'd heard Mindfang had brought her heirs to the Midwinter's Ball. He aimed to sweep one of them off her feet. His social status would rise, and so would his income. He hoped with his heart he'd find that sought after connection in one of them, but his mind knew it was to his benefit to marry regardless of if he found it or not.

Gamzee was nervous, always anxious before immersing himself into crowds such as these. Karkat had insisted he came tonight, as the Ball was being held to boost morale in the troops. And everyone needed to socialize outside of battle as often as they could. The crabby commander worried about those under his wings endlessly. He straightened his tie again, the indigo silk soft beneath his fingers. A voice interrupted his thoughts. 

"I didn't take you to be the nervous type, Mr. Grape." He turned with a jump to see Terezi standing at his side. She wore a teal suit, with a small red rose pinned to her collar. He chuckled, both at her words and the fact that her outfit didn't burn his eyes for once. 

"I'm not. Not once I'm in there, among them motherfuckers." Gamzee responded with a smile, content he knew that he had a friend there. Even if she grated on his nerves like nails on a chalkboard from time to time. "Was thinking about talking to one of Mindfang's daughters." 

"There you go, giving away your secrets again. Do you think you have the charisma to sway one of the Mindfang daughters?" Terezi grinned up at him as she spoke again, challenge clear in her voice. 

"Oh, my most righteous sister. It ain't a question of if I've got the charisma. Cause I all up and got that. After all, you can't resist motherfucking talkin' to me every single time you up and see me." He replied, his own challenge ready on his tongue. He did enjoy these moments with her. "Nah, ain't a question on if. It’s a question on which sister I should motherfucking get my know on with." 

Terezi laughed, a long loud cackle. He grinned back at her before they both turned and walked into the party together. He had a point to prove now.


	10. The Sky's the Limit

Feferi looked around the room when she entered the ballroom with her sisters, smiling as she took in the decorations. Silver and pale blue streamers, with white roses and lilies on every table. All the napkins were a soft silky material in a dark blue that made her think of the night sky. The ceiling of the tall room was painted with the constellations, so she supposed the entire theme was based off it. She liked it a lot, but then again, Feferi enjoyed all parties. Even if she wasn't the type to grab the spotlight. 

Tonight was the night of the Midwinter's Ball, which celebrated being halfway through the harsh winter. And it was for the morale of the rebellion's army, of course. It was being held by a blueblood she didn't know the name of, but Mindfang knew him. Their mother had told them that they were all attending as she owed said blueblood a favor. Feferi could see Mindfang standing with him now. He was tall, with long elegant arrowhead tipped horns, and his long hair was braided back behind him. He smiled politely occasionally, his gestures docile; a harsh contrast to their mother's cackling laughter and exaggerated actions as she joked with him. Feferi turned away from them to look at Vriska, who looked a lot like her birth mother in this moment. 

Her sister stood in front of a semicircle of trolls and a few humans, all of whom seemed to be trying to impress her. She was dressed in a dark blue dress with small glittering crystals sewn all over it, though they were clustered mostly around the waistline and bodice. She'd shorten the dress like all her others and she still wore her red boots. With her long hair styled and pulled back from her face with simple braids. Feferi had insisted she do it for her. The fuschiablooded troll smiled at the ceruleanblood as she talked to the group gathered around her in half-hearted mockery that no one seemed to pick up on. 

Aradia stood nearby as well, dressed in a deep burgundy gown with gold embroidery like flames all along it; to Feferi she resembled a phoenix rising from its ashes in fiery glory. Her curly hair was pulled up into a bun and she had on a pair of black boots. She was currently talking to a yellowblood about a book they'd both read about the history of Eastern Alternian. ‘Great Alternia certainly wasn’t very creative with their names…’ She thought quietly to herself with a secret smile. She blinked her attention back to her sister. They both looked so excited as they compared ancient technology. She smiled over at her younger sister and waved a little, encouraging her to keep talking. She was happy to see both her sisters having their own versions of fun. 

Feferi herself was dressed in a pale seafoam green dress. It was laced up in the back with white ribbon and it had pearls sewn onto the bodice with crystals that glittered in the light to form soft waves; she thought it made her look like the ocean itself. She had braided pearls and seashells into her hair again, keeping her wavy hair back from her face as usual. Her fins were dusted with a soft pearlescent powder. She had painted her lips a dark pink, and she wore a pair of short white boots. Mindfang had insisted she'd dress her best and she was glad she did. Everyone here was in elaborate and beautiful clothes. 

They had been there for at least an hour already, maybe longer. The music was loud, but not obnoxiously so, and there were many couples paired off on the dance floor already. No one had asked her to dance, but she wasn't upset about it. She just hoped Vriska found someone here tonight she liked. Right now, her greatest concern in her life was her sister, her moirail. She knew she had to marry soon, and Feferi prayed every night to whoever might be listening that she found someone she loved. Vriska deserved happiness.

As she was just about to get lost in her thoughts, she saw the large double doors open again. She peeked curiously through the crowd. She could see Terezi, and briefly thought to warn Vriska, when she saw who was with the tealblood. He was an impressively tall indigoblood with horns that spiraled up another foot into the air. He was dressed in an indigo suit, and he kept his face bare of the face paint common in his bloodcaste. His eyes scanned the room and for a second, she thought they had settled on her. She felt her heart skip a beat and a fluttering in the pit of her stomach. She held her breath and stood up a little straighter, smiling at him brightly. But when she had steeled her nerves and decided what to say, he turned and walked in a different direction.

She must have looked as disappointed as she felt, because when she looked back at her sisters, they were both watching her carefully. She smiled at them as brightly as she could before looking over the crowd again. She saw him again, talking to a human who was standing with a jadeblood. She tried to make herself a little more noticeable than she usually did, but it wasn't working. She was far too nervous or polite to go interrupt him herself, and she frowned a little. While she was watching him, a voice broke her concentration. 

"Who are you so focused on? I've never seen you stare before." She jumped a little and turned to see Vriska standing next to her and trying to look in the direction she'd been looking in. Feferi blushed immediately, and looked down at her hands. 

"I wasn't staring!" She blurted out, before feeling more embarrassed about being caught. 

"Fef, its me. Your moirail. Now, is it the human, the jadeblood, or the taaaaaaaall one? Wow. What is he, like seven foot?" Vriska had lowered her voice as she kept her eyes on the group Feferi had been watching. 

"The tall one..." She finally admitted, blushing more as she watched him laugh at something the human had said. His smile seemed to brighten the room and she felt that strange flutter in her stomach again. 

"Good eye. Want me to go get him for you?" Vriska offered with a smirk, and Feferi's eyes widened. 

"Oh! You don't need to--" Feferi started before Vriska held up a hand and interrupted her. 

"Yes I fucking do. This is my sole purpose. I'll be right back." Vriska grinned before straightening herself back up and she headed over to him, leaving Feferi an embarrassed mess. 

Feferi watched as Vriska cut through the crowd with a confidence the fuschiablood once again wished she had. The troll she was after broke away from his friends to the drink table. Vriska stopped beside him and they spoke for a minute. They talked quietly about what Feferi could only wonder about, and she could see he was just as confident in himself as Vriska was. Eventually Vriska grabs his arm, and they both looked over to her again. She couldn't read Vriska's face easily, but when he looked at her again she felt her breath catch in her throat. They started towards her and she felt herself smiling brightly back at him. As they got closer, Feferi could hear what they were saying now. 

"Where are we motherfuckin goin?" He asked the ceruleanblood, confusion written across his face. 

"To your destiny, of course. Would I ever lead you astray?" Vriska spoke with a smirk, laughing at his face. 

"Well, maybe. But I'll all up and take that chance." He answered with a grin as they stopped in front of her. Vriska smiled still as she let him go and moved to stand next to Feferi again. 

"This is my sister." Vriska explained and Feferi held her hand out to him. 

"Feferi Peixes. It’s reelly nice to meet you." She was blushing, she could feel it. She just hope her gills or fins didn't flutter. But he seemed to put things into place and he smiled back at her, before taking her hand. "Thank you for fighting for us." 

"Gamzee Makara." He responded with a smile, as he lifted her hand up and he bent over, placing a soft kiss against the top of it. "And of it takes a motherfuckin war for me to up and meet you, I'd fight in every single one." 

"Alright kids. Have fun. I've got people to impress." Vriska said now, leaving just as quickly as she had arrived. 

If Feferi hadn't been so focused on his eyes, that seemed to twinkle with a humor that never faded from him fully, she might have heard the exasperated tone of her sister's statement. Instead, she just giggled and when he asked her to dance she eagerly agreed. They spent the rest of the evening talking and dancing. She had never had an evening that magical before in her life. She might even argue that this was the best day of her life. 

\--------~*~--------

One week later, Feferi sat in front of the vanity in her room back at their manor. She was brushing her hair and humming softly under her breath. She wasn't really trying to do anything with her hair or makeup right now. She was killing time as she waited. Gamzee wrote her a letter every single day since the ball, and with every single one she felt herself falling more for him. He was kind, intelligent, and passionate. 

And with each letter, she felt lighter, as if she could fly if she thought about him long enough. She looked over to the neat pile of letters he'd already sent her. Each was about three pages long, if not more, front and back. They were well written and prosey, and it read like poetry to her. He talked to her about his life; his father leaving, and his mother dying. How he raised himself, and was so thankful his mother taught him to read before she passed on. She told him how Mindfang took her and Aradia in, raising them alongside Vriska as if they were her own. How she loved her sisters more than anything, how Vriska was her best friend. How she loved to play the piano and pick flowers, and how she hoped to have her own children one day to teach and love.

He came by to visit often, and Feferi was thrilled to see that he got along with her family amazingly well. Aradia and him would speak in soft whispers, and he explained to Feferi she asked him for advice. He wouldn't speak more on the subject and she found his loyalty endearing. Vriska constantly challenged him to debates that they always ended in an unspoken truce and a mutual respect of one another.

Speaking of, Vriska walked into the room and dropped a letter in her lap, interrupting her thoughts once more. Vriska flopped onto her bed and smiled over at Feferi as she squealed with happiness at the handwriting on the front of it. 

"I've never seen you glow so much before." Vriska stated, watching as the fuschiablood got her writing things set up to reply as soon as she finished reading his letter. 

"Oh, Vriska! He's so amazing!" Feferi responded before looking at her. Her eyes twinkled and Vriska grinned back at her. "He's sweet, and compassionate...and he makes my heart flutter." 

"Well, if he's so amazing, you should share him. All my options are so booooooooring." The ceruleanblood teased and Feferi laughed, shaking her head. 

"Vriska! You're so sealy!" Feferi was still smiling, and she turned back to the letter and opened it up. 

"Uh huh. Well, I'll let you get to it. Tell him I say hi." Vriska laughed and stopped to hug Feferi. Feferi hugged her back, and once she was gone she started reading the letter. Her smile softened when she noticed the small heart by her name at the top of the page.

\--------~*~--------

It was another two weeks, and Mindfang was hosting a small dinner party at the manor. She'd invited Gamzee and a couple of her own friends over. The meal was prepared by trolls that Mindfang had hired for the night, and it was large and each sister had their favorite meals. Something was afoot.

Feferi watched Gamzee moving about the room. If he wasn't at her side, whispering soft words of endearment to her, he was by Mindfang. He was trying to impress her, and Feferi knew he could. She had a pretty good idea to what he was trying to do. He wanted to win Mindfang over so he could ask for her hand. It had her on verge of tears, because she knew there was nothing that could stop him when he had his eyes on a goal. He was fighting for her now, and not just for their freedom. 

After dinner had been served, and everyone was full and back into the study, Gamzee finally made his move. He went to Mindfang and spoke quietly with her for a little bit. Eventually, her mother looked past him to Feferi and the fuschiablood felt herself stiffen. She tried to plead with Mindfang silently, hoping with everything she had that she would say yes. Finally, Mindfang looked back to Gamzee and nodded, shaking his hand. Feferi felt happiness flooding her senses, and when Gamzee turned back to her smiling she felt that same feeling of warmth and comfort spread through her. Like there was nothing holding her down, and she could touch the sky if she just reached up. 

Gamzee walked over to her and kneeled in front of her, taking her hand. She held his hand tightly, as if it was the only thing keeping her rooted in that spot. She watched his face carefully as he started to speak. This was it, this was the moment she'd been waiting for the whole night. 

"Feferi, I ain't got a boon to my name. I ain't got no land, or no troop of my own to motherfuckin command. And no one really knows who I am yet. But you do." He smiled up at her as he took a breath, and she tried to keep herself from sniffling. "But I got my motherfuckin honor, a couple of college credits, and my smarts. It’s amazing...your family brings out something in me I didn't know I had left in my soul. Aradia asks for guidance, and Vriska all up and tried to take my fuckin' arm off." He was grinning up at her and she brought her free hand up to her mouth to stop the laugh that tried to force its way out. That sounded just like Vriska. "But my love for you is motherfuckin unerring, and we can get a little house-place in Barklem and we'll figure it out together. I ain't had a family in a long time…my father left when I was a kit, and my mother died. I grew up real motherfuckin close to feral. But I remember her face when she watched that door every single night waiting for my father to come back. That shit was real...and I swear on my motherfuckin life I will never make you feel that helpless. Will you marry me?" 

Feferi looked deeply into his eyes as she tried to form the words. She was so excited, so happy. That feeling she had around him was overwhelming her, and she realized she'd fallen for him the night she met him. For a minute, all she could do was nod frantically before she choked out the words. 

"Yes. Oh, Gamsea, yes!" She was crying happy tears, overwhelmed by the emotions flooding her. He grinned up at her before he stood and hugged her close to him. She wrapped her arms around him and cried softly into his shirt. 

\--------~*~--------

Another two weeks passed, and Feferi looked herself over in the mirror. Today was her wedding day, and she was dressed all in white. She looked beautiful, and she turned to look at Vriska with her beaming smile in place. Vriska smiled back at her softly as she walked over, pressing a soft pale kiss to her temple before lowering her veil and handing her the bouquet. 

"Come on, Fef. You've got an aisle to walk down." Vriska's voice was soft and comforting. "And no matter what...I will always be there for you. Pale for you." 

"Vriska..." Feferi looked her in the eyes through her veil, smiling at her. "You'll always be my moray eel." 

They smiled at each other before Vriska took her hand and walked her to where Mindfang waited at the double doors to escort Feferi down the aisle. Vriska squeezed her hand before letting go and slipping into the chapel. The music started, and Feferi took Mindfang's arm and walked with her through the doors that were opened for them. Gamzee stood at the end in front of the preacher. He turned to look at her and she felt her gills flutter softly as she approached. 

She changed her mind. This was the best day of her life.


	11. A Bit of a Dance

Vriska stood beside Aradia a little ways from where Feferi was supposed to stand, and watched Mindfang walk the bride down the aisle. She was her maid of honor, because of course she was. Feferi looked so beautiful, and she felt her heart twist in pride for her moirail, her little sister. She smiled for her sake, and she let her eyes pass to where Gamzee stood at the altar waiting for his matesprit. She felt her stomach twist now as indigo eyes moved from Feferi to match her own blue, especially when he smiled at her. He looked back at Feferi and Vriska clenched her hands around the bouquet she held in front of her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax, to keep that smile on her face. 

It was both simultaneously the best and worst day of her life. But she had to stay strong. This was for Feferi. She'd give her left arm and eye for her happiness, to keep that same smile and glow she'd carried since that damned ball. The one that ruined her own life. She knew this routine by heart. They'd practiced it many times over, so she let herself drift.

She wished she was a million miles away from here. She wished she go back in time, but she knows she'd make the same choice. But it’s nice to think about. That ballroom floated from the depths of her memory; like candlelight, it was faded around the edges like a dream.

\--------~*~--------

It was "a midwinter's night under the stars." Or so she'd been told that pretentious sounding sentence by Mindfang. Since cold-blooded trolls couldn’t spend extended periods of time outside during winter, they all seemed to romanticize it. As a troll on the higher end of the midbloods, she could stand it a little more than Feferi. And it was awful. It sunk through your clothes and past your skin into your bones, and it didn't leave for days. Why should they celebrate it? 

She hated this entire affair, but at least Mindfang would be distracted all evening. It meant as people followed her around all evening trying to impress her, she got to mock them without someone tugging her by the ear or horn. If she had to marry, she was going to be judgmental. They should know everything they're getting along with her mother's money.

She huffed as she turned away from a group of young soldiers, all competing amongst themselves for attention they were never going to get from her. She'd just told them so, though she could admit it might have been backhanded enough they couldn’t have hoped to notice. She looked around the room as she blatantly ignored them, spotting Terezi slinking away with someone. She thought it might be a violetblood, but she wasn't sure. Vriska just knew she wanted to avoid that load of hoofbeast shit for as long as she could. Her questionable life choices were her own. Aradia was talking to some yellowblood. Even if she didn't get along too well with her youngest sister, seeing her excited made Vriska smile regardless. She still loved her. 

Eventually her eyes settled on Feferi. She hadn't checked on her in a little while. She seemed to be trying to make herself seem taller as she kept her attention focused somewhere across the room. She tried to see what or who she was looking at from where she was but she couldn't quite pinpoint it. She headed over to her sister's side. Feferi was intensely focused because she didn't notice Vriska stop behind her and peer over her shoulder. Finally she could see where she was looking. 

There was a group of three across the ballroom that seemed to stand out but she couldn't exactly figure out why. It consisted of a blonde human with sunglasses on his face in a red suit, a jadeblood in an elegant black gown with jade colored lace over it, and a very tall indigoblood who spoke with the familiar swagger of confidence. 

"Who are you so focused on? I've never seen you stare before." Vriska asked finally, and Feferi jumped. She blushed immediately and looked down. Vriska grinned at her. Caught red handed.

"I wasn't staring!" Feferi responded, her words rushed. She was adorable when she was embarrassed. 

"Fef, its me. Your moirail. Now, is it the human, the jadeblood, or the taaaaaaaall one? Wow. What is he, like seven foot?" She really looked the group over, but her eyes kept falling onto the tall indigoblood. He looked up and over to them, smiling, and she felt her heart stutter in her chest and the breath fly from her lungs. He was...whoa. She made herself focus as Feferi spoke finally. 

"The tall one..." Feferi's voice was low and musical, like soft harp music, as she watched him again with a dreamy gaze. Well, it hadn't been just her. 

"Good eye. Want me to go get him for you?" She kicked herself immediately as she asked the fuschiablood. Her eyes widened as she turned to look at Vriska finally. 

"Oh! You don't need to--" Feferi started to argue, but Vriska held up a hand both to stop her moirail from talking, and to steal her nerves. She had this under control. She had all the luck on her side. 

"Yes I fucking do. This is my sole purpose. I'll be right back." Vriska forced a grin to her face as she walked towards the tall troll with eyes that totally didn't make her want to melt. 

He broke away from his friends to head to the drink table. He seemed to sway with the music in the air as he moved, and Vriska found herself in a trance. It was like those spider lusii that danced to attract mates. He was confident, and she would bet anything that he had the intelligence to be that confident. She reminded herself she had a goal, and she sped up to get to him. This was for Feferi.

As she reached his side, he turned to her as if he'd been expecting her. He was young, and even more handsome up close. Fuck. He grinned and it was like he was a beacon in the middle of a dark storm over the ocean. When he spoke was when he really started to shine though. 

"You got this look in your eye, sister. I know that look. You ain't ever been satisfied in your life." His voice was raspy, as if he'd either tried to swallow rocks at some point in his kithood or he talked enough to affect his voice. His statement surprised her, and she felt herself relax into a real smile. Finally. An actual challenge. 

"It’s not polite to speak to a lady like that. Good thing there's none here." She laughed before she pushed on. "Besides, I don't really know what gave you that idea. I've got all the irons in the fire, sir." She stressed the sir as she retrieved a drink for herself since she was already there. 

"Motherfuckin all of them?" He asked with mock wonder on his face. She smirked as she nodded. 

"All. Of. Them." She confirmed, before taking a sip of her drink. 

"Then why you got that same look in your eye I see every motherfuckin time I look in the mirror?" He asked, teasing gone. He was still smiling, but in that moment he became serious. 

"Is that so?" She asked, as the air left her lungs again. But it didn't feel bad this time. It was almost a comfort. 

"I ain't ever been satisfied." He confirmed this time with the faintest smile, taking a drink from his own cup. 

She watched his face carefully now. Their conversation flowed, and it felt nice to talk to someone who could keep up. He was clearly intelligent, just as good at reading others as she was. She'd met her equal, and of course there was a catch. The first being she'd come here for Feferi. She justified extending their conversation as passing judgement over him because she was concerned of his intentions. She didn't want to introduce him to Feferi if he was awful. Besides, this was a dance she actually enjoyed.

"Vriska Serket. Of the Mindfang house. It’s a relief to meet someone who actually knows what they're talking about." She stated, offering him her hand. He smiled as he shook it. 

"Gamzee Makara. And I better be keeping my knowledge goin', if I'm gonna keep working for the Commander." He held pride in that, and she took note of it. He was ambitious. He may have been watching out for her and her sisters all night. She immediately felt that tingling sense of suspicion.

"So where are you from? I don't think I've eeeeeeeever had the pleasure of meeting you before. And I would remember meeting you." Vriska asked and watched his every move. He was in her web now, and he danced along the delicate threads gracefully. He twitched a little, so she pushed a little closer to that line in the sand of society. "You have any family? Any irons in your fire, shall we say?"

"The Island of Melody and Mirth. And the only sicknasty fires I got up and burning are for college and work right now. But I got a lot motherfuckin planned." Gamzee responded, completely avoiding the subject of family. He probably didn't have any family, which meant he was literally getting by on his words and brains alone. He held a trace of an accent, and he spoke like most subjuggulators in the carefree way he delivered his words. He was just a touch more intelligent in his vernacular. He expected you to follow along. She wouldn't be surprised if his father was one. Unfortunately this meant he was poor. She wouldn't be allowed to marry him even if Feferi said it was okay. Catch two, and they could only get worse. 

Something in his face made her reach out and touch his arm gently. A comfortable silence fell over them, before she cleared her throat. She looked away from him but didn't move, and she turned back to her sister. When she saw her face, she felt that need to protect her and make her happy override what she was feeling for Gamzee almost instantly. She looked so helpless; hopelessly enchanted by Gamzee, and Vriska couldn't take that from her. He wants a Mindfang sister to boost him in society, and Feferi wanted to meet him. She gripped him a little more before turning back to him. He was watching Feferi now when she looked up at him and she tugged on his arm.

"Come on." She demanded, trying to get back to herself. 

"Where are we motherfuckin goin?" Gamzee asked as she pulled him along, but he followed her anyway. 

"To your destiny, of course. Would I ever lead you astray?" Vriska teased him, laughing when she looked back to see the confusion on his face. 

"Well, maybe. But I'll all up and take that chance." He grinned back at her, and she tried to hold onto the feeling in her chest for as long as she could before they stopped in front of Feferi. She let go of him and moved to stand beside Feferi, already missing being so close to him. 

"This is my sister," was all Vriska could say. She kept her face neutral as she watched Feferi hold her hand out to him. 

"Feferi Peixes. It’s reelly nice to meet you." Feferi introduced herself, as she blushed brightly but she was smiling. She lit up around him and Vriska realized in that moment that it was worth it. "Thank you for fighting for us." 

"Gamzee Makara." He introduced himself, and she told herself it didn't bother her at all that he kissed her moirail’s hand so delicately. "And if it takes a motherfuckin war for me to up and meet you, I'd fight in every single one." 

"Alright kids. Have fun. I've got people to impress." Vriska spoke abruptly, grinning. She told herself she sounded confident and strong, just like she always did. She wasn't tired in the slightest, and most definitely not upset. She turned and left them, leaving her cup on a table as she headed for the double doors. She needed a minute away from the crowds. Once out of the ballroom, she found a pillar to hide behind and made sure no one was around. 

She leaned back against it and tried to clear her mind but it was proving to be harder than usual. Feferi mattered more to her than anything else ever, and she was kind and understanding. For a second the ceruleanblood had almost convinced herself it would be okay. She'd tell Feferi how she felt, and she'd understand. Then Vriska could marry him, and let Feferi or Aradia marry rich. Then the image of Feferi as she watched Vriska talking to Gamzee, and she shook her head. No, if she told Feferi the truth she would say she was fine but she would be hurt. Vriska couldn't handle it if she was the reason Feferi became a wilted flower for the rest of her life. Feferi was always the third catch. She was right, it got worse.

Her moirail was the kindest troll in the world, and she deserved love and happiness more than anyone else. Vriska could make the best of a bad situation, but Feferi would just pretend until she couldn't anymore. She knew Feferi better than she knew herself, and their bond was strong. She wished she didn't feel the way she did about Gamzee, because she hated being weak. She was supposed to be strong. She had to protect her sisters and herself in this world. 

She told herself she didn't feel anything. She told herself Feferi was what mattered. She told herself she couldn't be selfish again like she always was. When she felt something wet dripping onto her hands she realized she’d been crying; her hands clasped at her chest, she told herself she wasn't crying over losing something she never had. She was happy. There was no way she would let this break her. She would fight tooth and nail, she would stoke those coals around those irons she had. She had fires to maintain, things to do. 

She left the party early, only speaking to Aradia after having cleaned herself up. She left quickly and quietly, arriving home long before the rest of the household. She cleaned up and got out of the dress and into bed. She only let herself smile at the thought of his face as she drifted off to sleep, the only place it would be okay to pretend. 

\--------~*~--------

When Vriska returned to her body and out of her daydream, they were already at the reception. Yet another party. She looked around to see everyone happy, and excited. Feferi was giggling at something someone had said. As things slowly came more into focus, she realized people were giving speeches. The yellowblood Aradia liked talking to was mockingly bowing as people clapped, and Gamzee clapped loudest. He looked at Sollux with a special little twinkle in his eyes. Was that his moirail? She thought it was some human named Dave from all the stories he told. He must keep things like that private. She learned something new everyday.

She sat up in her seat, and took her wine glass in hand. Alcohol sounded nice right now. She just barely stopped herself from jumping when she could finally hear everything again. 

"Let's hear from the maid of honor!" The yellowblood was prompting again. What was his name again? Sollux? She smiled at him and she stood up out of her chair now, glass still in her hand. She held it up in the air as she spoke clearly, and with a steadiness that surprised her. 

"A toast to the groom, and to the blushing bride! From your sister, who's always right on time." She winked over at Feferi, grinning again as she continued on. "A toast to your union--" 

"To the revolution!" Sollux shouted, joined by the jadeblood, the human, and Gamzee. Vriska laughed softly and shook her head. She had to finish her toast still. 

"--and to the hope that you provide us in these hard times; both in war, and in love." She finished as she looked from Feferi to Gamzee again. As cheers broke out, he met her eyes, and for a second she saw that same expression that made her want to comfort him again. He tilted his glass slightly towards her, before he took a drink. She looked quickly back to Feferi, and she felt herself soften at how happy she was. She was glowing, and staying as close as she could to her new matesprit--her husband. While she found comfort in how happy her sister was, Vriska knew she would never truly find peace. 

She admitted only to herself she would never be satisfied. But she had a secret; he wouldn't be either. He had said so himself.


	12. Raise a Glass! (Reprised)

Gamzee sat at a table with his best friends all there. It was after his wedding, and the reception was coming to a close. He opted to spend a few moments with his friends before he headed home with his matesprit. His heart fluttered a little at the thought. His thoughts were cut short before they could really start by Sollux throwing an arm around his shoulders, and lifting his glass once more. He'd already given his official toast. Gamzee supposed that meant it was time for the unofficial toast. 

"Alright fuckers. Time for the real toast." Sollux grinned around the table. Kanaya and Dave lifted their glasses, and Gamzee grabbed his. "I may not live to see the end!" 

"I may not live to see the end!" Kanaya and Dave repeated, smiling at Gamzee. Something in their faces told him he was in for a treat. 

"But I've seen some wonders in my life." Sollux continued, grinning up at Gamzee. He felt a blush spread across his face. Whether it was the alcohol, or the fact that he wasn't still quite sure where he stood with Sollux, he wasn't quite sure. 

"Wonders great and small!" Kanaya and Dave chorused together. They must have practiced this. 

"Cause if this horned-barkbeast can get a matesprit…" The yellowblood held his glass out to Kanaya and Dave. 

"If Gamzee can get married..." They chorused again, getting ready to clink their drinks together again. 

"Then I guess that means there's hope for our asses too!" Sollux finalized, and they all broke into quiet laughter as the whole group tapped their drinks together before each taking a long drink out of them. 

"Let's raise another glass. This one goes out to freedom." Dave tilted his glass briefly before taking another drink, a small smile in place when he finished. "Which you'll never see again, Gam." 

"She'll promise you are, I promise you you're really not." Sollux laughed again, letting go of Gamzee and settling into his chair a little more comfortably. 

"Oh, don't go filling his head with nonsense. Your matesprit is a lovely troll, dear." Kanaya smiled over at Gamzee reassuringly. 

"Yeah, I know." Gamzee agreed with a blush. 

"Though, congratulations on not being poor anymore. Now you can dress in a manner that properly suits you." Kanaya teased now, sipping out of her glass politely. 

"Fuck, to the four of us! Let's get some more drinks over here." Sollux called to one of the servers, grinning as more drinks were brought over. 

Today was amazing, it really was. Feferi was incredible. She had so much kindness in her, it almost hurt him to think about her too much. She was gentle, and her voice sounded like music when she talked about the things she loved. He loved her, he knew he did. And his best friends were all here, sharing it with him. 

The only one missing was Terezi, but she was smaller. She blended into crowds easy, and he was positive he'd seen her at some point. She was quite the socialite though, so he wouldn't be surprised if she was taking advantage of the party and the exclusive guests. Mindfang and Darkleer were both here, as well as numerous violetbloods it couldn't hurt to know. He respected that, and encouraged it. Right now though, it was time for his friends. 

As if thinking about her summoned her, Terezi slipped through the crowd and was heading towards the table. She tapped the floor in front of her with her cane, while sniffing the air carefully. She stopped at their table beside Gamzee, and a smile spread across her face. 

"There you are, Mr. Grape. The ceremony was lovely." Terezi spoke directly to him, offering him her hand. He turned in his seat to take it. "Congratulations are in order." 

"There's my favorite little lawyer sister. I didn't think you motherfuckin made it." Gamzee shook her hand, letting himself tease her. He held her in a high regard as a rival. The only person he'd ever been tempted to pitch seriously. 

"Oh, come on now. You have such little faith in me. I would never miss this, Gamzee." Terezi shook his hand before letting go, opting to lean on her cane and just smile at them. 

Gamzee turned when he'd heard various sounds of confusion. None of them had noticed the tealblood until she was right on them. But Gamzee had been watching for her all night. He laughed as they resumed drinking their drinks. 

"I see the whole gang is here too." Terezi cackled before waving at them. 

"Shut up that sound leaving your mouth and sit down." Dave retorted, kicking the extra chair over to her. She took it and sat down between Gamzee and Dave. 

"Ignore these motherfuckin fools. Congratulations to you too, sister. Wish I was fightin’ and leadin’ in the war. I just write letters all motherfuckin day." Gamzee waved off the others teasing. He had heard the news earlier. It was a big deal, and she deserved the recognition. 

"No, Mr. Makara, you don't. I'm a midblood, and this weather is painful." Terezi insisted, grabbing a drink that was slid to her by Dave. 

"Nah, man. I do. It's boring as a motherfuck, alright?" Gamzee joked more, taking a drink of his own now. 

"Well, I've been under the impression you've made yourself an asset that simply cannot be done without. If you ask me, that's a lot more impressive." Terezi responded, quickly deflecting his statement. She was a good lawyer, he was sure, though he’d yet to actually see her doing her job. 

"You know what I heard?" Sollux interrupted them before they could start debating their careers. He sat forward in his seat now, grinning at Terezi. "I heard you've got yourself a secret matesprit. You're not the only one with friends that like to talk." 

"Oh yeah?" Gamzee asked, his own intrigue peaked. He turned to look at Terezi, whose lips were spread in a thin line and her face was as serious as he'd ever seen it before. 

"Why you hiding shit, TZ?" Sollux poked at her as he grinned. 

"I should go." Terezi stated as she pushed back from the table. 

"No you motherfuckin don't. These guys should go. Go on guys, socialize. Sollux, go find Aradia. She was just up and telling me about a book on artifacts she just read." Gamzee pushed back from the table, and made a shooing gesture with his hands. 

"Trying to scare us away like we're seagulls, huh?" Dave joked as he pushed back as well, Kanaya following suit. 

"Sure am." Gamzee laughed as Sollux patted his arm before leaving, Dave and Kanaya following along in quiet conversation. He turned back to Terezi when they were alone, grinning at her now. "That's cool, my tealsis. Wish you'd brought this special someone tonight. I'd love to meet the motherfucker that's sweet on you." 

"You're as kind as always, I see." Terezi responded, sarcasm dripping from her words as she started to grin again. "Though unfortunately, society dictates we keep our little relationship hidden." 

"Why the motherfuck you gotta do that?" Gamzee asked, immediately confused. Surely it couldn't mean what he thought it meant. 

"She's already married." Terezi spoke quietly now, confirming his suspicions. 

"Ah well, yeah. I can motherfuckin see why now." Gamzee admitted, nodding his understanding to her. 

"To an Great Alternian officer, at that." Terezi concluded, before she finally stood up from the table. 

"Oh...fuck." Gamzee was almost amazed. That's one way to tell the old country to shove it. He stood up and followed her to the door.

"Congratulations again, Mr. Grape. I mean it." She turned to smile up at him, and it was almost genuine. "Try to smile more. It makes you smell less like rotten grapes. I'll see you later." 

"You know, I ain't ever gonna understand you. If you motherfuckin love her, all up and go get her. She's gotta feel the same if she's risking so much. Why you always waitin' for shit?" Gamzee asked his final question, determination for his friend written across his face. Terezi watched his face for a minute, her own wiped clean of all expression. 

"Goodbye, Gamzee." Terezi finally spoke, smiling softly and waving as she walked out the door. 

"Yeah, yeah. Later Terezi." The indigoblood grumbled as he watched her leave for as long as he could, turning away in frustration. They went about things so differently, it was infuriating at times. He shrugged it off and headed towards the crowd. He needed to find his matesprit, or Vriska at least. He needed to get the concern for his friend off his mind, because he knew she would only ever push him away.


	13. Inimitable

Terezi walked through the doors after dismissing Gamzee, stopping once away from the party to take a deep breath. She needed to go get her coat, but right this second she needed to breathe. She was mad at herself. The angriest she'd ever been at herself in a long time. He brought that out in her, and she still wasn't one hundred percent certain he did it on purpose. Most of the time, Gamzee was an open book. He wore his emotions and his ambitions on his sleeve, throwing the information out like scrap metal for his enemies to craft ammunition out of. 

But honestly, she was mad at herself and not Gamzee. He has been nothing but honest in his attempts to pitch her. But he made her see a side of her she kept to herself. She wanted to tell him her secrets, and she couldn't have that. She also couldn't compromise the strength she'd built up in herself after all this time. 

But she did want to talk about Mariso. The violetblood was almost a danger to Terezi's focus at times. She was...beautiful, and clever. They had met at a party, like Terezi tried to meet most of everyone she knew. She'd been charming the room like she always did. 

Mariso seemed to enjoy her company, and honestly, their banter was refreshing. They talked law and famous cases, which brought them to the tealblood's parents. When they could, they snuck away into a quiet part of the manor and talked quietly into the evening. Terezi escorted her back, and went home. The next day, a burgandyblood kit knocked on her door with a letter. It stated Mariso needed the advice of a lawyer, and to come at her first convenience. Terezi went at once. 

Eventually, Terezi fell for her. If she wasn't already married, the tealblood would marry her in an instant. Her matesprit was an Great Alternian officer down in the Coast of Storms and Songs. He helped fight off gamblingnats that were aiding the rebellion. Honestly, he could keep the coast. It was nothing but rain and wind, and Terezi had the real treasure. She had his wife. 

But overall, Terezi believed that there had to be a reason greater than herself if Mariso chose her. The tealblood knew even though she was married, she was still a sought after troll. Many had tried to win her hand, but only Terezi had succeeded. And if there was a reason greater than her, than both of them, she could wait for that. She could wait her whole life. If there was anything she believed in, it was that fate rewarded those who were patient. Her grandfather had taught her that. 

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She needed to get her coat and head out. Mariso had probably sent her a letter, and she wanted to reply as soon as she could. She straightened herself once more, and headed off to get her coat. 

Once she was as prepared to enter the winter as she could be, she headed out. She let her thoughts drift back to her grandfather. She couldn't remember him as clearly as she could remember her parents. He was tall, and his horns arched backwards, like her father's had. He wore the holy face paint, and his sermons were loud and resonating. His voice echoed in her bones and his booming speech calmed your heartbeat instantly. If she admitted the truth to herself, Gamzee reminded her of her grandfather at times. When he meant what he said; if she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was back in that church with the large stained glass window. The fact he could invoke that in her made her seethe. 

Her father was almost the polar opposite of Gamzee. While he wasn't an idiot he certainly wasn’t as clever as Makara was, but he was far better at commanding forces. Much better than she ever hope could be, but she held his torch high regardless. He commanded the respect of everyone around him just by being in the room, he didn’t have to talk long enough to gain it. He stood tall, and he too wore the paint. Though he wore a different design than his own father. Looking back on it, Terezi realized it was because they held different positions; one a preacher, the other a subjuggulator. 

As she let her mind drift to distract from the cold she had to endure to get back to her own house, she found herself smiling at the thought of her mother. She was a genius, easily the best legislacerator. She had made laws, and defended only justice. Terezi could remember she laughed loudly, and she was kind too. She was both the perfect mother, and she still worked for as long Terezi could remember.

Her parents both died in the same accident that had blinded Terezi. An airship powered by psionics crashed when there was a malfunction in the machinery. She had survived, and her grandfather raised her and taught her how to get around without her eyesight. When she'd lost him to time, she'd realized she was truly the only thing in life she ever really got to control.

So she taught herself over the years that she was strong, that she was inimitable. She didn't wait for things to fall into her lap like everyone thought. She laid in wait like a predator that's built a clever trap. She knew the things she'd have to make decisions on would show themselves, and until then she kept her truths to herself. To show your hand too soon made your every move into an uphill climb. Though it didn't seem to be going that way for Gamzee. 

As she walked through her front door, she groaned at the realization she was once more thinking about Gamzee. She smiled when she smelled the letter as she removed her coat, and she retrieved it on the way to her bedroom to get ready for bed. She burned a little more wood as she settled into the chair in front of her desk. She read the letter, smiling at the way Mariso always signed it as 'love always'. And for a just a minute she considered how things might be if she lived Gamzee's life. If she fought like him, took everything she wanted. He played all his cards every time he got them, and they just kept falling into place for him; and the winnings kept on doubling. 

Gamzee moved through his life like he had something to prove that he could never fully understand himself. He didn't have anything he could lose yet, so he played high stakes and kept landing jackpots. If she was Gamzee, she'd be married to Mariso, and she would be the one considered irreplaceable to Karkat. She would be able to provide for them, and the family they always talked about. But this was real life, and she wasn't Gamzee. She could never do what he did. She could never carry that flame in her for so long; it would consume her alive.

She knew a little of Gamzee's past. He grew up on the Island of Melody and Mirth, and she knew it was a hostile island to live on. Small and not overly colonized, it was bombarded by storm after storm in spring, and in the summer it was hot. Winter was just as harsh. Autumn was really the only break they received. The island was given the name when it was discovered, as the locals seemed to always be in good spirits no matter the circumstances. Maybe it’s because it was so hard to thrive there, they saw every day as a kind of miracle worthy of a celebration. Very few trolls lived to even see their grandchildren there. And that was important to Terezi for one reason. 

If Gamzee Makara survived such a place to come here, he was meant for great things. And goddammit, she was going to wait to see what that was. It better be worth it, because he just seemed to be setting her back. Forcing parts of her out and into the light, things she’d hidden even from herself. He had to be worth the wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the point I had written to. So in the words of Burr..."Wait for it."


	14. Only One Way

Gamzee had never seen the Commander so despondent. Karkat currently sat in a chair in the corner of the room, slumped back against it as he stared out the window, The indigoblood wasn’t entirely sure what was on his mind, but it had to be their current conundrum. He looked away from their strangely silent leader and back to the papers in his hands. He was looking at more pathetic excuses for their lack of supplies from the Council. He read a line telling them to saddle up and attack and he felt a growl rising in his throat.

‘Motherfucker, we’re being forced to eat our mounts because y’all ain’t delivering on your end of the motherfuckin bargain!’ Gamzee shouted in his head as he scribbled the message down onto paper. He heard a faint chuckle from the room and he realized he must have looked as angry as he felt.

He thought more on their lack of supplies, racking his thinkpan for solutions. They didn’t use Great Alternian money, instead having printed their own boonbucks and boondollars, and the local shopkeepers often refused to sell them because of it. They didn’t do it to spite them, he reminded himself. It was out of fear. Some trolls still lived in fear of the Condescension’s wrath because they had never considered a future without her tyranny. That’s why their victory was so important to him.

And the Council was still so infrequent with supplies, and it was never enough when they did deliver. He hadn’t lied about having to eat their mounts. A few of their battalions had had to resort to it before. He was so lost in the red storm of anger brewing in him he almost fell out of his chair from shock when he heard the gruff voice beside him.

“They’re not fucking coming, Makara.” Karkat stated, looking over his shoulder.

“But, motherfucker--” Gamzee started, and Karkat held up a hand to silence him. He respectfully shut his shout hole.

“There’s only one fucking way to win this shithole of a war. We’ve got to make them mad.” Karkat started cryptically, a smile spreading across his face. “I thought of it watching you get mad at a piece of paper. All that’s left of her army is midbloods and coldbloods. We’ve got all the warmbloods now, which is a godsend because half our army was retired due to it being the dead of fucking winter. And what makes a coldblood angry more than anything else? Being fucking cold. So we hit them randomly, no patterns. We frustrate them so they attack without thought, and we can pick them off as they scatter.”

“Knick their supplies while we’re at it. Food’s food, and ammo is always useful.” Gamzee added on, his own smile spreading across his face as the plan started to sink in. This might work.

“And they don’t move at night, but we fucking can. So we use those laughsassin bullshit tactics and wreck their shit.” Karkat continued, starting to get that driven energy back in him.

“If we’re motherfuckin’ relentless, they can’t get a strike back in on us.” Gamzee said, his own drive returning as they broke through their mental blockage like a trickle slowly rising into a raging river that flooded the banks.

“Then they can’t keep justifying continuing this shit because of all the losses they’re about to take.” Karkat finished, slamming his hands on the table.

“It’s a suicide tactic, you motherfuckin realize?” Gamzee said as he realized it himself.

“Yeah. Yeah I fucking do. I don’t like it, but it’s what we got. And its voluntary. I’m not going to push anyone into it.” Karkat said, his compassion showing through his determination. “But if we keep on them, and make those supplies last for us...we could win this.”

“We’ll have to fly some flags half-mast...but we’ll be motherfucking free.” Gamzee agreed, nodding slowly.

“Freedom is worth it, Makara. Freedom is always worth it.” Karkat concluded, moving to sit on the other side of the table so they could get ready to plan this out more.

\--------~*~--------

Gamzee could remember that night still, often considering it as he huddled with his friends in the tavern. They sat around their usual table in their usual positions. Kanaya sat knitting a scarf that she had already started wrapping around her neck as the length grew. The jadeblood had gone back to being a seamstress in the sparse fights and he bitter cold. Dave said hunched over a letter he was scribbling quickly. Another he was sending to his family back in Derse, asking for assistance. The human had confessed to Gamzee he was praying for a ship, as his brother was much better at sneaking out with supplies than he was.

At his side huddled Sollux. They were bent over more essays, Gamzee editing as Sollux finished up each page. The yellowblood had tucked himself up under Gamzee’s free arm until the indigoblood wrapped it around him. They’d finally confirmed that pesky pale quadrant, and they almost never left the other’s side. The highblood considered briefly how much progress they’d made since they’d met, before he stopped and marveled at the warmth of the grumpy psionic. He realized that must have been his moirail’s intentions, seeing as the heating in this tavern was a little spotty. Out of all of them, Gamzee was the most vulnerable to the cold. He hated that. But he appreciated the comfort he was provided while he could.

He didn’t really get to see his friends much as time marched onward, dragging him along with it and all the work that started being piled on him. He missed nights in the tavern, or the warmth of his bed and his home, the comfort of his matesprit. 

The winter was a hard season, and they were in the second half of it. It wouldn’t be too much longer until the spring and the cold would left off. But not long after the new tactics were put into play, he was receiving more and more letters from battalions with good news.

Great Alternian supply lines were getting cut every day, supplies pilfered and plundered to become rebellion supplies. More supplies meant stronger forces, and the small raids were getting more and more efficient. They were also getting more confident in picking and choosing the battles to go all out in and which to just be general menaces before a quick retreat. And the freezing coldblood soldiers supplied by Her Imperious Condescension were slow and frustrated. 

Still, every time he asked for his own troop to command, Karkat dismissed him. And Gamzee felt anger and envy both at the fact that he’d chosen to promote Folant Junius, a goofy little yellowblood that fancied himself a regular warrior. He was a decent leader, true. Gamzee could see what the redblood Commander saw in him, that potential to be exactly what Commander Vantas needed out in the field during combat. But he was new to commanding in the field, and he was much too skittish. He proved this for the indigoblood when he fucked up the Battle of Renegadeia.

Gamzee had been told once again to remain in camp during the battle. He needed to stay warm and safe, the older troll had told him. He’d frowned at it, the fatherly tone of voice he’d at first enjoyed starting to grate on his nerves. He’d returned hours later, much later than they’d planned on. When Karkat stomped through the entrance, throwing his chained sickles to the ground with a clatter Gamzee woke from the doze he’d slipped into. He stood up quickly, almost getting his horns tangled up in the top of the tent.

“Motherfucker, what happened? Why you so late, what went wrong? “ Gamzee inquired as he moved over to where Karkat was removing his breast plate. The Commander merely growled lowly, apparently too angry to answer. When Gamzee gave up and started collecting the things he was dropping, he finally exploded with what he had been internalizing. 

“Fuckin Junius! Fuckin Junius happened! I’m yelling to charge, he’s yelling to retreat, half our party is now frozen because they don’t know what to do.” Karkat finally shouted, gravel thick voice deep with anger and suppressed violence.

“Motherfuckin for real?” Gamzee asked, almost surprised . He knew Folant had been an idiot, he’d said so to everyone. But he hadn’t expected the yellowblood to be so stupid as to prove it himself in battle. Or maybe he was too cowardly. Gamzee didn’t get much time to consider it before he got his reply.

“Gamzee Fucking Makara, look me in the eye and tell me if I’ve ever bullshitted you before?!” Karkat screeched back at him, and Gamzee fought the smile of shock and the nervous giggling. He was both terrified and amused at the implied threat in the clenched fist at the older troll’s side and the single pointed finger like a scolding father. Or a mad man. He failed at suffocating all the giggles and a few still escaped. Karkat responded with a defeated groan before dropping into a chair. 

“I ain’t mean no disrespect, sir. It’s just a thing that all up and happens sometime and I can’t stop the giggles.” Gamzee blurted out and Karkat waved a dismissing hand.

“No, I already know that. No, its just fuckin Junius! The second time he went against me, I asked him what the fuck hit him in the head when I wasn’t looking, because that was clearly NOT WHAT I SAID. He gave some godsdamned excuse about there being too many. Well, yeah, what the fuck do you think I’ve been shouting at you all FUCKING WINTER. That’s also why we’re running in like a bunch of douchenozzles at dusk and stealing their fucking food, then running. Instead, because of the GROUP HESITATION, we got roped into an actual battle. I demoted him mid fight, put fucking Strider in charge, and we fucked their shit up before we stole the rest. So it wasn’t a complete failure.” Karkat was ranting again. Gamzee smiled, amused by the anger in the troll that was so compassionate for his troops he risked his life to get every single one out, dead or alive. “Strider has a good head on his shoulders, and he’s pretty good with morale and speeches. He’s smart. Annoying as fuck, but fuck, and he’s already better than that nookstain JUNIUS. We got everyone out, then took the winding trail back for the extra confusion.”

“So where’s the motherfucker at?” Gamzee asked.

“Who?” Karkat asked, having lost himself in his own words.

“Junius, brother. He still fightin’ with us?” The indigoblood reminded, and Karkat growled loudly once more.

“Fucking JUNIUS. Fuck if I know. I made sure we got him out and back to the camp. He’s not against freedom but he might have a bone to pick with me. Oh well, fuck him. I’ve got a war to fight.” Karkat had answered, and left it at that. He’d apparently vented it enough that he wasn’t worried anymore, moving back to the table to work on strategies. 

He had Gamzee call Dave in later to work with them.

\--------~*~--------  
A few weeks later, and oh so close to Spring, the hardest part of winter came. A lot of Great Alternian forces were severely affected, but so were of few of the rebellion’s. Some of the coldbloods waiting for the cold to let up to return to the fight died due to the freezing nights. After what they hoped would be the final blizzard of the season, snow laid heavy on the ground for days, severely hindering the advancement of their troops. Despite all this, they still gained a slight advantage on the Condescension’s army. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

During their winter struggles, Folant Junius had made himself a busy little troll. He’d been demoted mid fight, and though he stayed on the side of the rebellion he started talking down on their commander. Like a child trying to make himself look better after being a bully. The rumors he spread were along the lines of “Commander Vantas cannot be left alone to his devices. He’s much too indecisive, changing tactics in the middle of enacting. He could do us all a favor and return to planting Alternian tobacco on his farm.”

With every new time hearing it, Gamzee grew more irate. He knew the reasons why the strategies changed so frequently, the sleepless nights the two of them have spent making plans that would ensure the most survivors with each fight and skirmish. Karkat reassured his right hand man repeatedly that it was fine and to leave it alone. ‘History doesn’t give a fuck about rumors, it cares about war.’ It grew closer to Spring, and as the snow melted and left and the cold slowly lessened, the rumors echoed louder.

It was one night, out in the field he found a loophole. He was in Sollux’s tent, curled up on the cot under a single thick blanket with the warmth of the yellowblood helping to keep him at an decently even temperature. He’d been sent away for the night by the Commander, another attempt at making sure he slept. He hadn’t yet, just enjoying small touches with his best friend. He’d started grumbling about the situation again before Sollux turned in his arms and slugged him in the shoulder with a soft fist.

“Quit fucking whining, and do something about it.” Sollux lisped up at him, smirking.

“But I can’t motherfuckin go back on my word, Solbro. Can’t be done.” Gamzee responded, almost sounding defeated.

“Then I’ll do it. You be my right hand man for a bit. We’ll shut him up.” The yellowblood replied soothingly, lifting a hand to pap his cheek gently.

“Best friend…if something happens to you I’ll--” Gamzee started, ears drooping slightly.

“You said it yourself. I’m your best friend. Let’s fucking do it.” Sollux interrupted again, offering a crooked smile of confidence up at the taller troll. “Besides, I’ll fuck him up before he even gets close enough to hit me with that toy he calls an axe.”

“That toy is all up and motherfuckin big as you is.” Gamzee chirped, grinning back down at him.

“Details, details.” Sollux dismissed, before turning and settling with his back against his chest.

“Just…stay alive, man. Be careful.” The indigoblood whispered quietly.

“I always am.” Sollux reassured, relaxing into Gamzee and eventually dozing off. He fell asleep shortly after.


	15. Reckoning to be Reckoned

Sollux Captor walked down the street. He’d been inquiring about Folant’s current location all day. Each time he found out where he was and went there, he had already moved on to his next stop. To add to the irritation of having to walk this far to challenge an idiot was that the fact that he kept learning that the other yellowblood was still talking trash about their Commander as he moved.

He finally tracked him down, catching him heading out of a tavern. Sollux let loose a snarl as he hurried his pace. This was starting to give him a headache, and he would be damned if he missed this asshole again.

“Folant! Fuckin Folant Junius!” The angry Captor barked out. He knew he was visible, he was wearing yellow. He’d left his identifying helm at home though, as this wasn’t a fight. It was just the first step. The other yellowblood stopped now, turning to him. 

He stood maybe an inch under Sollux, but he wasn’t as lean either. He did fight with a admittedly big battle axe. His hair was short and posh, parting easily around his dual hooked horns. He looked confused before he saw who it was. Though Sollux was sure it was his moirail the other troll was imaging as he looked at him. He was stopped though, so he finally caught up to him.

“Heard you been talking some shit.” Sollux growled out. He stood as tall as he could, focusing on keeping his psionics from sparking.

“And if I have, you’re going to…what? Fight me?” Folant asked, smirking a bit. A cocky look for a coward that fled in battle. Captor found himself frowning in response.

“Fuckin’ exactly. You can apologize here and now, or we take this to the arena. I’m challenging you to a duel.” Sollux wasted no time in laying down this challenge. He had a point to prove, and there was a fifty percent chance he’d back down immediately. But he was almost surprised when the other shook his head.

“No, I meant what I said. And I like my odds in a fight with you, twig.” The other responded coolly as he shifted a bit to look up at Sollux a little easier.

“Then get your second, douchelord. I’ve already got mine.” Sollux snapped back, bearing his dual set of fangs at the other troll. The other yellowblood reached out and tapped his chest.  
“Is it that dopey clown that follows you around like a barkbeast?” He teased and Sollux slapped his hand away.

“It’s the Commander’s right hand, shitstain. And you don’t get to talk crap about him.” He growled, defending the indigoblood. “Just get your shit together, and let’s do this as soon as fuckin possible. You’ve already given me the headache to end all headaches, thanks.”

“Tell Makara to find Pyrope.” Folant responded, tone clipped. He must have realized how serious the other was taking this entire thing. And everyone knew no one riled Gamzee up like Terezi Pyrope.

And then he turned, storming off like a lightning cloud of irritation and anger. He’d strike down any in his path if he’d lingered any longer. He didn’t like trash talkers, and he didn’t like all this bullshit, but no one talked down on his friends.  
\--------~*~--------  
Sollux waited at their table in the bar. When he’d returned after the challenge earlier, Gamzee had soothed away the sparking headache with gentle fingers at his horns. He talked about what happened, and as soon as Sollux was okay with it, Gamzee left to find Terezi. He’d returned in an equally infuriated huff and told the yellowblood they hadn’t reached a peace either. Instead, they settled on a time and place—the training arena at dawn the next day.

So now that Sollux had calmed Gamzee back down, they were off again—only this time they were together. They had to go find a mediculler for the duel tomorrow. It was a protocol , one of the rules of a duel. You had a mediculler there to tend to wounds while in route to the nearest medical wing. Speaking of, they were heading to the medical wing near the training arena new recruits used. Rumor had it there was a jadeblood by the name of Dahlia who looked over many a duel in her time in Cantown.

As they arrived, they found a clearly older building. It was an old metal bunker that had been claimed and refurbished into a mediciuller’s facility. They could see an older jadeblood outside the building. She wore black and green scrubs, and her hair was pulled back into a loose bun. A cigarette hung from her lips loosely as she watched them approach with wary jade eyes, with not a hint of storm cloud grey. She was older than both of them.

“Anyone injured?” She asked them, voice raspy from sweeps of constant use.

“No ma’am, not yet.” Gamzee responded for both of them, and Sollux remembered why they were here.

“Then fuck off, yeah? It’s my break.” The jadeblood quickly retorted, returning her attention to her cigarette. Sollux barked out a laugh, grin spreading across his face.

“Don’t mind us, we want this to be quick too. There’s a duel tomorrow, at dawn. Do you think you could be there?” Sollux asked, trying to be polite. He was rude to everyone else, but this lesson had been drilled into is head for sweeps as a kit. Respect your elders; they could still fuck you up. Trolls were instinctually aggressive, and violence came first in the older generation.

“Another one? Fuckin young ones can’t solve nothin’ without beatin’ the snot out of each other.” She remarked, casually watching them now. “Fine. At the arena?” 

“Yes ma’am.” Gamzee responded, and she shook her head. 

“Don’t ma’am me. I’m mediculler Dahlia. I didn’t spend sweeps to get that degree for you to refer to me as ma’am. I’ll be there.” She answered before finishing the smoke, flicking it off in a random direction as she turned away from them. “Come inside and make your payment, then get out.”

The pair followed her quietly. They made their way inside, making their payment and they left as quickly as they had arrived. He had left with considerably more anxiety settling on his shoulders. They headed back to Gamzee’s house now, crawling up together on a couch to talk. He noticed the indigoblood seemed just as heavy, though he was more twitchy about it. He rubbed at Sollux’s arms absentmindedly, consumed in some thought. It had to be about him with how concentrated he was on soothing muscles that didn’t ache. Not yet.

“Hey. If you keep rubbing at my fucking arms, you’re going to burn them away. Then there’s absolutely no way I’m gonna be able to fight him.” Sollux snarked, trying to coax a response out of him. Gamzee turned to him sheepishly now.

“You been real quite since the mediculler’s…if you don’t wanna do this, motherfucker all up and tell me. It ain’t that big a deal, really.” Gamzee responded, finally ceasing the incessant rubbing and worrying in silence.

“No, I’ve got to do this. He’s been talking shit, and he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it. He makes yellowbloods look bad, and he’s just too…fuckin cocky. I want to at least punch him in the face.” Sollux responded quickly, sitting up quickly at Gamzee’s side. He wrapped his arms around his best friend’s neck, hugging him loosely and awkwardly. He still wasn’t as into physical contact or cuddling as Gamzee was, no way near. But he knew the indigoblood was only clingy because he cared. He cared with every thing he had in him, and that was remarkable. But he also knew when not to touch, when to keep his space. But Sollux would continue to try for him. “He doesn’t just get to fucking get away with it. Not this time. It’s been that way for far too fucking long.”

“You sure about this? One hundred motherfucking percent?” Gamzee asked again, wrapping his arms around him in return.

“Fuckin yes. I just said that. Get the shit out of your ears and listen again.” He pulled back to look him in those deep indigo tainted eyes. He felt that fluttery feeling in his stomach and felt the pale dripping from the clown like a freshly painted mural. Pyrope was right. He did really wear his emotions on his sleeves. He felt that resolve rise in him again, the pride swelling in him. He remembered he wouldn’t be alone. He almost choked on the words. “I’m so fucking sure about this. We’re going to go into that arena and wipe the floor with both of them. Either you’ll talk TZ down, or I’ll kick Folant’s ass. Win-win.”

“Yeah we will.” Gamzee responded, smiling finally as he let himself believe Sollux’s flimsy lies of comfort and denial. Sollux felt himself relax regardless though, and he let go to pap his cheek before flopping down on the couch beside him. He could do this, he felt that faith again. The same one he’d felt the first time he’d heard Gamzee speak, and how he’d learned to do over time. That he was the one who could offer comfort right now brought it back. Only this time—it was inside himself.

“Alright. Now shut up and think about how to shove Pyrope’s cane down her throat figuratively.” Sollux dismissed it, a little less anxious now. “We’ve got a reckoning tomorrow.”  
\--------~*~--------  
Tomorrow, just before dawn, he returned to Gamzee’s home. He’d written his letters last night, and then fine tuned his helmet. He’d fashioned a new pair of gloves recently that let him channel psionics via his helm to his hands. It meant he could hit harder, and he could block easier. He’d tested them out earlier, and just like he thought, no bugs. At least not yet. Over the gloves he wore leather gauntlets to protect his hands and arms. If he got close, the other yellowblood wouldn’t be able to swing his axe. That handle was still deadly though. Breast plate and loose pants, all bronze and yellow, he was set. He had his shurikens in their places, so he could throw them with his psionics when he needed to.

They arrived at the Arena as the sun was rising in the sky. Mediculler Dahlia was already there, once again smoking a cigarette. They were the first, then came a few observers who must have heard and were looking for a good show to start their day. He started to think the other had ducked out when he saw him walking through the entrance with the high and mighty Pyrope striding at his side confidently. He was probably going to have to fight after all. He met Folant in the center of the ring, and they shook hands. Then they took their places opposite of each other outside the border of the fighting ring. Gamzee stopped at Sollux’s side, and he looked up at the taller troll. He felt confidence soar in him again and he grinned at his moirail. He stopped him for just a brief moment.

“If shit goes wrong, I left some letters at home. Make sure they get to where their fucking meant to, okay? Now fuck her up.” The Captor kept his grin in place, and the other walked to the center of the ring chuckling as Terezi mirrored him.

He watched the two stop in front of each other. The sight alone was humorous; Terezi had to crane her head to look up at the indigoblood as he stood at his full height. But in turn, he had to bend his neck at quite an angle to look down at her as smugly as he was. He looked across the ring at Folant. He didn’t wear as much armor as he usually did, which meant he was underestimating Sollux. That in itself was an insult, and he could see the other smirking. He frowned but he closed his eyes, preparing himself. After a minute of just clearing his mind, Terezi and Gamzee finally started their negotiations. He could hear them as they spoke from where he was, and he was glad as he opened his eyes again. He was keen to listen in on this conversation. He wanted to know how angry the indigoblood was going to be so he knew what the damage later was going to be—silent seething or shouted ranting.

“Mr. Grape! It’s a fine morning today, isn’t it? The Spring air is crisp, but not chilly. No more bone numbing cold.” Terezi started the banter, wide grin across her face. “And it is so lovely to see you again.”

“You know, you all up and motherfuckin say that every time we meet. But I’m really starting to get the sense that you’re lying out yo’ motherfuckin teeth.” Gamzee remarked, grinning back down at her. His pitch attempts were truly pathetic.

“Maybe I am.” Terezi replied with a cackle. “Maybe I’m not. But I’m sure the one thing we can agree on, Mr. Makara, is that duels are foolish, immature…childish, to say the least.”

“Yeah, guess we can. But we got a motherfucker running his mouth off, and he needs to answer for the slanderous, blasphemous shit he’s been spouting off…” Gamzee answered immediately, grinning manically down at her. “…at the very motherfuckin least. Ain’t that right, sister?”

“But by dying? Even you’re not as barbaric as that, are you Mr. Grape? That’s quite a ridiculous solution.” Terezi argued, smile starting to fail her.

“And how many brothers and sisters in our cause lost their lives thanks to this one troll’s cowardice and motherfuckin inexperience?” Gamzee countered once more, voice rising a bit in volume now. Sollux could hear the low grumble of a growl coming from the highblood from where he stood. Fuck, it was going to be bad later.

“I suppose that answers that then. Let’s do this.” Terezi finally ended the negotiation with a clipped tone when she realized he wasn’t going to back down. Sollux was grinning again, that infectious rage and confidence taking over him now as well. The two broke away and walked back to their corresponding firsts.

Sollux nodded to Gamzee, and together the tealblood and the indigoblood began to count down from ten. Sollux and Folant began to circle the ring across from each other. As they got closer to one, Folant got his axe at hand and Sollux fired up his helm. He started flexing his fingers, testing the currents. Everything was working fine, red and blue sparks popping off his hands like miniature fireworks. He grinned over at Folant before showing his double fangs to him and the other narrowed his eyes. At the mark, they ran into the ring towards each other.

He felt the sparks tingling across his skin and down his arms as he saw Folant lift his axe to swing. He judged the angle, running forward still and dropping in to slide under the arch of the blade. He lifted his hands quickly and focused on some of his shurikens. He shot them forward and out at the other yellowblood as he slid past him. He was still in motion from swinging the axe, so he couldn’t exactly dodge the bladed weapons as they sliced along the skin he’d left bare to insult Sollux. He laughed loudly as he rolled over, scrambling back to his feet.

He got to his feet and started moving forward again when Folant was turning to face him. He’d made it to close range, and the other positioned himself to try slamming his handle into Sollux instead. He caught the handle with his own hands and fired his psionics down to his hands. Sparks flew as he held the axe back, and he let loose an ugly fit of laughter. They fucking worked! He shoved the other backwards as he let go, chasing him to swing a fist over the handle and into his face. He laughed harder when the other tried to dodge the black eye and ended up with a broken nose. He had to, at the least, punch him in the face.

Sollux reclaimed his shurikens, and eventually developed a plan as he moved. He kept feinting hits, and when the other began to expect that, not feinting anymore and hitting exactly where he aimed. He had him so unsure of where to put his feet while he swung the ridiculously large axe around, all while taking on damage from psionically shot spinning blades of death. He always knew throwing stars were fucking cool. This continued for a while, and with each hit and block he could feel himself loosing energy. Folant even managed to get a few hits on him. The visor on his helm blocked a possible black eye, but it shook his head and started the stinging sensation of a migraine. He was vaguely aware of cheering from around them, and from the sound of things, a lot more people had joined them. 

The battling Captor could see it when he started to quiver, the bleeding starting to affect him. He was glad, because this was honestly draining him dry. He started charging his gloves more as he punched, throwing more stars out each time. Finally the other really started to slow, but he kept swinging. Sollux started just dodging attacks as the axe-wielder started to tire himself out. Finally he stopped, standing briefly before he collapsed. He felt a flood of relief, as he dropped down to his own knees in agony. He should have worn more tech.

He thought he could hear voices in his mind, and when he looked up he could see Gamzee at his side. He was shouting something, or at least he thought he was shouting. He could be talking for all the knew, he couldn’t actually hear him over the sound of his pulse pounding in his ears. He could still hear those faint voices but they almost blended into the thudding sound of his rushing blood now. He could feel bruises on his arms starting to make themselves known as the adrenaline slowly died down in him. He flinched as sound returned to him harshly, slamming into him. He could hear Gamzee now though.

“You won, brother. You okay? Solbro, are you okay?” Gamzee asked, repeating the phrase a few more times until Sollux could manage a nod of understanding.

“Yeah, I’m fuckin fine. I kicked his ass, just like I said I would…fuckin doucheguitar…just lemme catch my breath, man…” Sollux reassured, grinning tired up at the other as he was helped up to his feet. He was almost steady when he started to register a very angry, ravenous ranting coming through the crowd.

Captor considered when he thought Gamzee was going to be frustrated and angry about Terezi. He realized now, it was about to be a whole lot worse.


	16. Go. Home.

Gamzee watched the end of the fight, twitching anxiously as he watched on unable to interfere. So far, his moirail was in the lead but soon Folant stopped moving and collapsed, proving the point. Sollux seemed to drop to his knees in relief as the medicullers that had attended moved to their patients. There was one last step. He shouted out across to Terezi. 

“Do you motherfuckin yield yet?” He shouted across the arena as he rushed to Sollux’s side and he was met with an irate bark of a sound.

“He’s bleeding out Makara, yes he yields!” Terezi replied as she moved to Folant’s side, watching the mediculler get him ready to move.

“I’m fuckin’ satisfied then.” Sollux responded, looking up at Gamzee with a dulled gaze and an expression Gamzee couldn’t readily identify. He must have really exerted himself with this fight.

“Then fucking get your ride on, tealsis. Winner is motherfuckin clear here.” Gamzee responded, before dropping to his knees beside Sollux. He tried to get Sollux to snap out of the daze. “Hey, hey you won. You won, brother. Solbro, are you okay?” He repeated himself a few times, and he knew he was back when the other flinched a bit and finally focused his eyes on him before he nodded.

“Yeah, I’m fuckin fine. I kicked his ass, just like I said I would…fuckin doucheguitar…just lemme catch my breath, man…” Sollux panted out, grinning up at the other. He could see the exhaustion threaded deep throughout his eyes despite the smile. Gamzee helped him to his feet, checking him over. His ears twitched as he started to hear a familiar voice getting louder as it came through the crowd.

“Clear out, the Commander is coming!” A shout sounded from somewhere in the crowd, confirming who that familiar loud voice belonged to, and everyone lingering scattered like frantic bugs.

“I’m sure this will be pleasant.” Terezi piped up as she waited for the cart to take her first to the nearest medical wing. Probably Dahlia’s. Just then, Commander Karkat Vantas stepped through the trolls still in scattering motions. 

“What in the actual fuck is happening right now?!” He shouted, fierce red eyes widened in clear and evident rage. He turned that deadly gaze first to Gamzee and Sollux, and then to Terezi and Folant. “Ah fuck. Pyrope, make sure he gets to a medical wing. I don’t care which one.” He barked his orders as he moved over to Folant as the cart arrived. 

“Yes Commander Vantas.” Terezi responded, throwing a closed fist across her chest in impromptu salute as she helped the mediculler lower the gate to the cart. Karkat stopped to salute the downed yellowblood. Gamzee could see him barely turn his head to the redblood

“General Junius, we won’t ever agree on shit, but these young fucks in no way speak for me. Understood?” Karkat waited until he saw the slight nod, and he offered a proper salute to hi in return. “Thank you for your service.” 

“Let’s go!” Terezi shouted as soon as he was loaded into the back of the cart.

“MAKARA.” Karkat bellowed, turning harshly to Gamzee again. The indigoblood jumped before casting his gaze up hestitantly to the fuming elder troll.

“Sir?” He asked, voice unsteady with nerves.

“Meet me inside my tent right the fuck NOW.” Karkat answered, turning to stride angrily and quickly to the named and too familiar tent. As he left, Kanaya appeared through the crowd now heading straight to them. Gamzee felt the blood rising to his face, both in anger and embarrassment. He dropped his eyes down at the sound of Sollux’s raspy voice, noticing he’d pulled his helm off. Sollux lifted a hand up to very lightly pap Gamzee’s cheek.

“You better go, or you’ll never fight again.” Sollux teased lightly as Kanaya stopped in front of them. The yellowblood pulled Gamzee down a bit and pressed a pale kiss to his cheek. “Good luck. I’ll see you after the fight.” He laughed lightly at his own snark, before giving a low groan of pain as he let Kanaya lead him away now.

Gamzee took a deep breath, smiling a bit as he realized he could still feel the warmth on his cheek. He focused on that feeling, hoping to recall it later in the middle of the hell fire he was about to experience. He took another breath and started to the tent, walking at a slower than usual pace. As soon as he stepped through the entrance, and before the flap even fell closed, Karkat had turned his rabid anger towards the indigoblood. 

“Son—” Karkat started and Gamzee frowned, rolling his eyes. He was already in trouble, already irritated, he didn’t need this shit right now.

“Don’t motherfuckin start with that shit, brother.” Gamzee interrupted, and Karkat just snarled in response as he lifted a hand to use that scolding finger again. 

“Shut the fuck up and pay attention to the words leaving my mouth this time. We’re already fighting an uphill fucking battle that we’ve barely managed to reach the top of. If our forces start fighting themselves, its likely to send us barreling down the wrong side of that mountain we JUST scaled!” Karkat yelled again, voice rising and falling as he tried to fight to contain that ball of black rage that was always churning down in the pit of his soul.

“Junius was talking shit, and we called him back out. We called his motherfuckin bluff—” Gamzee started and Karkat interrupted him this time.

“All you did was aggravate allies and fucking prove to him you’re a petty, snotty little brat stupid enough to snatch the bait right up!” Karkat was throwing his hands around, exaggerating everything he said as he went. “Now he’ll just keep running his mouth and you’ve conveniently provided more ammo.”

“Absolutely motherfucking right sir.” Gamzee agreed, and before Karkat could calm back down he finished his statement. “Sollux should have blasted him in that blasphemous mouth he likes to all up and spill trash from. He’d have definitely shut up then.” He knew he was just infuriating him more, but he would be heard this time. He’d fallen on deaf ears for far too long.

“SON.” Karkat shouted, using that damn scolding finger again.

“I’m not your motherfuckin son…” Gamzee mumbled, dropping his gaze like a disobedient child regardless.

“Watch your fuckin tone with me, Makara. Look, I’m not a damsel in fucking distress. I’m a grown godsdamned troll who can fight his own—” Karkat started and Gamzee started explaining himself over him again.

“These motherfuckers are running everything you are through the MOTHERFUCKIN MUD. Running your name through a MOTHERFUCKIN GRINDER, brother!” Gamzee shouted, frustrated he couldn’t stand at his full height in this damned tent.

“Yeah, well my name’s been through a fuckin lot in its existence in this baffling and shitty world, which by the way is longer than you've existed-- and I think it can take this stupid shit.” Karkat responded, narrowing his gaze up at the taller indigoblood. “These were some half-assed, pissy little attempts I would have survived. But he might not.”

“Yeah, well I don’t have your motherfuckin name! AND I AIN’T GOT YOUR TITLES. I ain’t got your land, I AIN’T GOT SHIT! But if you just all up an gave me a troop—“Gamzee started again, the same argument he’d had with the Commander so many times before.

“NO!!!” Karkat shouted, repeating the word over and over, until Gamzee stopped talking again, settling into a seething silent bubble of rage. He gave a look of exasperation before he turned and retrieved a chair. He dragged it across the room, grumbling and growling words out quietly as he worked. Gamzee wondered if he needed to sit because he was tired, maybe he was truly done with the indigoblood’s shit. He worried a little, ears drooping.

“The chair for you or me?” Gamzee asked, curiosity getting the best of him. Karkat stopped to stare at him, and he realized he insulted the other’s height. He didn’t take it back out of stubborn pride, even smirking a bit.

“Just for that, it’s for you. Take a seat, Makara.” Karkat responded, kicking the chair over the last couple of feet. Gamzee sighed and took a seat, admitting defeat. He kept his eyes on the ground, admitting he deserved that. He heard Karkat dragging something again. He looked up to see that this time, it was a small table. It’d boost him up to Gamzee’s height, but unlike the highblood, he didn’t have the spiraling horns that constantly tangled up in things. He climbed up onto it, looking down at Gamzee. “Now that I have your full fucking attention…why will you not let this go?”

“Because I can motherfucking do it if you’d just give me the chance! Spring is all up and here, I can fight again!” Gamzee immediately answered, frowning up at his Commander.

“Or you could kick the fuckin bucket in the middle of some bullshit, and we need you to stay the fuck alive! It’s not that hard of a concept, and I swear to all the Gods, every last one of them, that if I have to keep repeating myself—” Karkat started, and Gamzee leaned forward in his seat growling. It had always been like this from day one, not giving him a single shot to prove himself.

“I’m more than willing to motherfucking die for this cause! It’s motherfuckin WORTH IT, you said so YOUR MOTHERFUCKIN SELF!” Gamzee challenged, making sure to remain in his seat as he defended his argument.

“It’s not that I don’t think you can! I know you fucking can! But your matesprit needs you alive, wiseass. Son, I need you to stay—” Karkat started again, and Gamzee felt the roar that ripped from his throat before he heard it. He didn’t register the fact that he stood up from the chair to his full height, horns be damned, until he was looking into the redblood’s eyes and seeing his own highblood anger reflected back at him. And he didn’t register the words until he said until he’d thrown them out for everyone to hear.

“CALL ME SON ONE MORE MOTHERFUCKIN TIME!” Gamzee had roared the words, a deep rumble of a growl twisted throughout them. His hands were clenched into fists at his side, and he could feel the biting pinpricks from digging his claws into his own skin. He held his ground this time, watching the redblood watch him in return. Karkat met him with an unfazed expression and a hard set jaw. He met Gamzee’s challenge like he did everyone’s, and the indigoblood felt shame starting to rise in him but it sunk home when the Commander finally spoke again.

“Go the fuck home, Makara. Back to your matesprit. That’s a fucking order. You clearly need a break.” Karkat answered, still not breaking eye contact. Gamzee’s eyes widened now, worry evident in his actions. 

“But brother…” Gamzee started and Karkat shook his head.

“Home. Now.” Karkat answered, and Gamzee dropped his head in defeat. He turned and headed out, back towards home. He’d have to find Sollux later.


	17. The Chapter Where You Decide to Stay

Feferi sat anxiously on the porch of their home in her favorite rocking chair. She had taken to waiting in the evenings for her matesprit once she’d received the letter from Karkat. She’d written the Commander with some very important news in mind, and asked him to release her matesprit of his many duties for a few months. She was with egg, due to lay within a week. Being a fuchsiablood it’d taken a little longer to detect, and she’d noticed about a month ago. When she knew, she wrote the letter immediately. And Gamzee was gone for so long, he often came home late in the evening and left early in the morning. He was so focused, he may not have noticed either.

She thought about her choice to go directly to Commander Vantas just as she noticed someone turn the corner. She recognized the spiraling horns as they got closer and she smiled brightly. She felt that same rush when she’d first seen him, and she stood up from the chair as gracefully as she could. She could see he was looking at the ground, grumbling to himself and her gills fluttered in amusement. When he looked up finally, she lifted a hand to wave at him excitedly with her other hand on her stomach. He stopped to smile at her before he noticed her condition.

He picked up his pace, dropping the bag he carried onto the steps to free his arms. He swept her up in one of those tight hugs he gave her and she snuggled into him quickly in response. He gave up whatever was bothering him in that instant and gave her his full attention. She soaked up every last drop of it as he pulled away to settle his hands on her stomach lightly. They stood in silence, and she took great joy in the security of knowing he was back.

“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Feferi finally asked, breaking the silence as she rested her hands over his.

“Yeah, its really motherfuckin chalk full of miracles today. You gonna tell me how long you’ve up and known?” Gamzee agreed before he asked the question she had been dreading answering.

“About a month, honestly. Its reely hard to tell with fuchsiabloods.”She answered him honestly, worried about how this would go over. But she definitely wasn’t going to lie to him about this.

“Why didn’t you all up and tell me?” He asked, immediately concerned. He didn’t move away though, and he didn’t come off as angry. Just really confused at her words.

“Well, I tried. But you were so busy, and when you were home you weren’t reely home. So I wrote to Commander Vantas…” Feferi started to explain, before he interrupted her.

“What? No!” Gamzee jerked his gaze back up to her own and she blushed brightly. “Is that why he—”

“I asked him to please send you home.” She finished, smiling guiltily down at him

“Fef, you shoulda told me babygirl. I woulda paid attention to that…” He replied, voice soft as he lifted a hand to hold her cheek gently.

“I’m not sorry, Gamsea. This is reely important. I’m going to lay soon, and I wanted to be shore you could be here for this. And it doesn’t take long for an egg to hatch.” She lifted her own hands to hold his face gently in return, smiling up at him. “Are you mad?”

“I’m not, it’s just…amazing.” Gamzee comforted her, softening his tone. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She smiled, melting into him happily before she pulled back and laid her head on his shoulder.

“I knew you would understand. But I knew if I didn’t you’d keep fighting until the war was won if I didn’t write.” She whispered quietly to him, and he gave a soft amused snort. She smiled a bit, finding humor in it still.

“War’s still not won…” He answered quietly, pulling back to look at her. She could see the pleading look in his eyes, but she also saw how docile he was about it. He didn’t have any heart behind it, overwhelmed by the news.

“You desurf the chance to meet your grub and welcome him to the world. Think aboat it, aboat how far you’ve come. It’s amazing, and along the way we created life together. Its even a miracle. ” She responded, smiling brightly. She felt lighter than air as she explained, excited in her own words. He gave her a grin and a small laugh in return for the fish puns. She loved that he appreciated them.

“You sure you made the right choice, marryin a motherfucker that ain’t got the money to give you the life you deserve?” Gamzee asked her quietly, his eyes changing before her to show his worry and his concern. She could tell his anxiety was starting to peak, and she gave him a calming look before taking his hands in her own.

“I’m happy to be you matesprit, your wife, and the mother of your grubs. Gamsea, I love you with everything I have. You’re compassionate and caring, and you’re so lucky. And even if you just…stay alive, that would be enough for this world.” She offered him her reassurance, and she watched him slowly melt and lower himself to his knees in front of her. She let his hands go and he pressed them gently onto her stomach. When he didn’t speak, she kept going herself.

“And if this child has even just a little bit of your smile, or just a fraction of your fire and cunning…oh wow, look out world…they’ll be perfect. And that would be enough.” She watched him as he smiled a bit before he slowly turned his head and laid his cheek on her swollen belly. He closed his eyes and she imagined he was praying, or possibly planning something to himself.

“I won’t pretend to know the story you’re telling in your mind, all those challenges and puzzles you’re facing in your thoughts and your doubt…” She slid her hands around him, wrapping him up in her arms the best she could as he held her and their child as close as he could in that moment. She felt herself falling for him all over again.

“I know who I married. And you’re smart, and you’re brave. And I know you’ll win this. You’re going to win so many things in your lifetime. And as long as you come home, it would reely be enough.” This time, she pulled back so she could lower herself down with him. Getting up might be a hassle, but she needed him to really pay attention to the last part of her little speech.

“We don’t need names, we don’t need legacies or money…all I want is to be your rock, to grant you just a little peace of mind. Let me be a part of that story Gamsea, the one you’re always writing in your mind….and just, this chapter….stay, please. And I could be enough.” She finished finally, taking his hands in her own again and pressing soft kisses against his palms and wrists. 

They sat in silence, just soft touches and warm love on a crisp Spring day. He didn’t say anything immediately, just kissing her and holding her in his arms. It was like he was trying to make up for his absence in just this one moment. She knew he wouldn’t do that though. No, Gamzee was affectionate. He would be like this for days. And she adored that about him.

“You always remind me of the sea. The way you talk, the way you sound…hell, babygirl, you smell like sea salt on the wind. And you’re all up and so calming. When I’m with you, it’s like motherfucking floating on waves. Peaceful, ain’t no mind to where I’m going on this motherfuckin journey.” He whispered finally, gentle fingers rubbing softly at her arms. She looked up at him, into those indigo storm cloud eyes that always looked at her so fondly like a hurricane in the distance. She felt so safe here right now. “Of course I’ll stay. I said I’d never motherfuckin let you look so helpless, and I fucked around and messed that up. I’ll stay.”

She smiled brightly at him now, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She could only nod her understanding, stretching up to kiss him lovingly. She had done it, she’d convinced him to stay here. She knew it wouldn’t be forever, but it would be fine. He’d stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait. A cold has been circling around the house. ^^;;


End file.
